Little Angel
by QueenAisha
Summary: Kouga runs off Leaving Ginta and Hakkaku again. While they rest at a nearby river, they come across an abandoned little wolf demoness who is on the brink of death.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

A little girl ran, chasing a butterfly as her mother watched her. "Careful Sakura." She heard her mother say and obediently slowed down. She always listened to her mother because she loved her more than she loved anyone or anything.

Sakura stood on a rock and held her hand up; the butterfly dodged her hand and landed on the flower in her hair. She giggled and walked to her mother, slowly so she didn't scare it away and pointed. Her mother laughed and gently tapped her child's nose. "Take it back now, we have to get back."

Sakura plucked the pink flower out of her hair and laid it on the rock she had stood on. "You can keep it." She said to the butterfly. It fluttered its wings softly and flew around her face. Sakura giggled, wagging her tail, she blew a kiss to the butterfly. "I hope I see you again." She said and ran to catch up with her mother.

Sakura looked up at the wolf demoness that was her mother and smiled, bouncing along beside her, hopping into shallow puddles from the rain last night.

Sakura and her mother looked just alike, they both had reddish orange eyes, dark hair and instead of their tails being brown like most wolves they came across, theirs where white, they were both average height and they both had naturally tan skin, the only difference was Sakura had freckles and was more free spirited. Both Sakura, and her mother whose name was Yuna, were part wolf and part fire demon.

"I wish you didn't have to work tonight mama." Sakura said. "We could have stayed in the forest with the butterflies."

Yuna smiled. "That would be nice, but I can't miss work."

"I know." Sakura said hiding the sadness in her voice. Her mother was so busy she never had time to stop and do fun things and barely played with her. Her mother danced and lived in the house where she worked. She had explained to her sometime ago that her employer often sold her dancers to patrons for a night, even though she wasn't supposed to.

When that happened and her mother was chosen, Sakura was given a special medicine that masked her scent and aura and kept her asleep, Sakura had to sleep under the bed when that happened and she didn't like it.

They got back to the place where her mother worked and they lived and went upstairs to their room. Sakura sat on her bed silently while her mother got ready; soon there was a knock at the door. "It's open." Yuna said and the door bust open to reveal a very angry bat demon. "Oh," Yuna said and saw Sakura playing at the window now, she turned back to the woman who had just entered her room. "Hello Leiko."

"Don't hello Leiko me!" the bat said with her arms crossed, "you cost me customers! They come here once a week to see you dance and you went missing!"

"It was Sakura's birthday." Yuna said calmly. "I promised to spend the day with her."

Leiko stood up and opened the door, motioning for Yuna to follow her into the hallway. Yuna did so and closed to door. "That child of yours is running up a bill!"

"What bill?" Yuna asked.

Leiko pulled out her record book and opened it up, going down a list of things that required extra money for Sakura. "Lets see, toys, the food she eats, those expensive clothes you insist on her having-"

"I want her to look nice." Yuna interrupted.

Leiko held up her hand and started to go down her list again. "Those sandals you wanted her to have, the make-up you let her play in and then ruin, the extra blankets you get her when it gets cold, all those sweets you waste money on, the time she keeps you away from here, and last but not least, her medicine to keep her asleep under your bed."

"I'll pay it all back, but she's just a child, I want her life to be as normal as possible."

Leiko scoffed. "You'll never be able to pay me back and work as you usually do. I should throw you and the brat out right now."

"No!" Yuna said sharply. "I have no where else to go…any where else to take her…" Yuna looked at Leiko, determined to keep a roof over her child's head. "There must be some other way to pay you."

Leiko thought about it, then a smirk spread across her face. "How old is the girl now?"

"Five now," Yuna answered. "Why do you ask?"

Leiko placed a reassuring hand on Yuna's shoulder. "There is one thing you can do to stay here."

"Name it." Yuna said quickly.

"Sell her to me in eight more years." Leiko suggested.

Yuna looked up quickly at Leiko "What?" she whispered.

"When she is older." Leiko said and opened the door to look at Sakura who was now sitting on her bed playing with a doll. "There are men, who will pay me dearly to be with a young, pure one, and she's very pretty, even at this age, she's adorable."

Yuna felt her heart stop; she wasn't able to speak or move, so Leiko spoke instead. "Think about it, you really have no other option."

Yuna finally sunk to the floor on her hands and knees, sobbing and screaming hysterically. She couldn't bear the thought of selling her child to the bat.

Sakura looked up and ran to her mother, hugging her "Don't cry mama" she said sweetly and dried her tears. "Who made you sad?" she asked, kissing her cheek. She then looked at Leiko with a scowl on her face and pointed accusingly at her. "You're mean, really mean, and I hate you for making mama cry!"

Yuna placed a hand on her daughters head, a bit surprised, Sakura was the only one in that whole house, child or adult who ever dared to speak to Leiko in that way. Sakura had thrown mud at her, spit at her and kicked her, making Yuna wonder where the girl's bravery had come from.

"Hush," Yuna whispered, trying to calm her daughter down.

Sakura didn't listen, but yelled. "Go away! Mama's not working tonight! Find someone else, she needs to rest and I'm gonna take care of her so go!" Sakura slammed the door as hard as she could in Leiko's face and kneeled beside her mother. "Get in your bed." She said and took her hand to help her stand.

Yuna moved in a zombie like state and lay down on her bed. Sakura brought her an extra blanket and the doll she had been playing with. "Now stay here." Sakura said kindly. "I'll go have cook make you some tea and bring it right up." Sakura then kissed her cheek and ran out of the room.

Yuna couldn't move. She felt like she couldn't breathe. In her mind she saw images of Sakura, as a baby, screaming until she was picked up, learning to walk, sneaking downstairs to watch her mother dance, hiding in the trees to delay her mother work, chasing butterflies, and sleeping peacefully in her drug induced sleeps.

Sakura was too innocent and sweet for what Leiko was ordering her to do. More images flashed through her mind of what Sakura would be like if she actually did take her to Leiko. A hollow shell of the little girl she is now, mad at the world, ashamed, staring at her mother with hatred for turning her into a whore.

Yuna couldn't bear it, even the thought of it made her heart ache. She wanted Sakura to leave this place and make something of her life, live somewhere peacefully, she wanted her to have a mate, someone who was kind to her, playful and energetic as she was, and someone who could stand her temper and would forgive her if she made a mistake of any kind. She wanted Sakura to have pups, as many or as little as she wanted. She wanted Sakura to have a happy life but there was only one way to keep her from this living hell she would be sure to endure.

Sakura came back into the room with a cup of tea as promised. "Here mama, it'll make you feel better."

Yuna smiled weakly and sat up slowly. "Thank you, sweet heart."

Sakura smiled and crawled into the bed, hugging her mother. "See, I can help, I can help with everything."

"Yes, I see," Yuna said, "You'd make a wonderful healer one day Sakura." Sakura smiled brightly at her mothers words, her little fangs glistened brightly in the light. "Sakura," she said "When I'm feeling better, how about I skip work and take you out somewhere? Just me and my little princess."

"Yay!" Sakura cheered and hugged her mother again. "I can't wait!" She held onto her and closed her eyes, smiling.

Yuna touched her child's soft hair; she leaned down and took a deep breath, inhaling her daughter's scent, faintly sweet like a mixture of rose petals and cherries, wondering how long she'd remember it. "I'll be better tomorrow." She whispered. "Go to sleep, we have a big day." Sakura moved to get down but Yuna held tight to her. "No," she said softly. "Sleep here with me tonight."

"Okay," Sakura said. "I'll stay here so you sleep better."

Yuna lay down, holding her baby close to her. She remembered how happy she was when she had Sakura. The girls that worked here were given a drink that would kill any baby they conceived, but Yuna was young and alone, if she had a baby she wouldn't be alone anymore. She stopped drinking it and soon had Sakura.

She didn't know which one of her customers was her father; she just knew he was a human. Sakura was half demon, though she'd never admit it to keep her daughter protected, she undid the ponytails that hid Sakura's ears and rubbed them softly. Sakura was born with ears and a tail so they hid her ears with ponytails. Sakura loved being who and what she was; she hated her ponytails but understood the need for them.

Yuna closed her eyes and dozed off, listening to the sounds of nightly activities below her room, but the sound that stood out above all was little Sakura's steady heartbeat.

**The Next Day:**

Sakura spun around in a brand new white Kimono with snowflakes on the fabric. "I look like a snow princess!" she said cheerfully. She was happy because it had been a good day, her mother had taken her out for lunch, let her play in the river, bought her lots of sweets, this new kimono and hadn't made her cover her ears, now there where in a forest, it was dark and secluded. Sakura didn't mind, she finally got to spent time with her mother uninterrupted.

Yuna took Sakura to her favorite places and bought her the most beautiful kimono she could find. Her daughter looked like an angel, but then again she did everyday. She told Leiko she was going to sell her Sakura and needed today to tell her. Leiko agreed and gave her money and the day off, saying it would come out of the money she was going to get for her daughter.

"Look around Sakura." Yuna said as it for dark and fireflies surrounded them. Sakura smiled, wide eyes staring and the beautiful insects. Yuna slowly made her way towards her daughter who kept staring and smiling. "They're beautiful, right sweetie?" Yuna asked and clutched a dagger, raising it high.

"Not at beautiful as you, mama." Sakura said and turned to face her mother but felt a horrid stinging in her right cheek. She fell, getting dirt on the white kimono. She touched her cheek, she was bleeding. She looked up at her mother and her eyes widened as she saw the dagger in her mothers left hand. "M-mama…why?"

Yuna smelled her daughters fear and it made her sick, but she had to do this. She had to kill Sakura to save her from a life of pain and suffering. Sakura would find solace in heaven.

She told herself there would be rivers in heaven, sweets, plenty of dolls, butterflies and fireflies to chase, and beautiful clothes for Sakura. Angels would dress her, play with her, brush her hair, and rock her to sleep, their beautiful voices lulling her into a sleep without drugs. That's where Sakura belonged, with angels.

Sakura backed away as much as she could and backed into a tree now knowing why her mother chose this spot, because no one would hear her scream.

Running was futile, Sakura cold really take off, but her mother was the only person she knew that could run faster than her and with the smell of her blood in the air, she would easily be found.

But that didn't stop her from trying.

Sakura turned as quickly as she could and ran fast, jumping over fallen logs and tree roots. She heard running behind her and sped up, twigs tore into her new outfit and mud splattered around the bottom of it and her legs.

_I'm scared. _She thought, zigzagging through trees. _Why is mama so mad at me? What did I do that was so bad? _Sakura screamed as she tripped over a tree root and fell into the dirt. She tried to get up but felt a kick to the ribs knock the breath out of her lungs. It had so much force behind it; it sent her headfirst into a large rock. She howled in pain as her forehead was cracked open.

"Please mama, stop!" she begged. "I'll do whatever you want! I won't ask you to miss work again, I'll stay in the room, under the bed forever, and I won't be a bad girl anymore! Please!" blood ran into her eyes and she could barely see, but kept trying to move, she turned and tried to run, but screamed as she felt fire on her back.

Now she was really scared. Her mother was using fire against her, something she had not yet learned to do very well. "I'm sorry!" she cried as the kimono started to fall away from her body, although she didn't know what she was apologizing for, she wouldn't die giving up or without trying to convince her mother she would be good.

She rolled in the grass, putting the fire out almost instantly and crawled now, trying to move as fast as she could. A foot came down hard on hard on her burned back. She bit back her screams as her throat became raw from so much screaming.

Just as she thought the pain could get no worse she felt the dagger her mother had used to cut her face slice though her skin. White hot pain blinded her and her screams could be heard for miles around. She could barely move but felt her fingers twitching. She smelt salt behind her, mama was crying? Why? What did she do to make her cry?

That's why she was here. She did something really bad and was being punished… but what? She could think of only one thing.

Being born a half demon.

Mama was tired of her, tired of having a half demon as a child and wanted her gone. If she had known she would have run away long ago. She wanted her mother to stop crying and to be happy again. She smelled water ahead of her and forced her eyes open, there was her solution.

A cliff.

She would jump and drown in the water below.

Using bloody fingers she drug herself away from her mother and to the cliff. She stood slowly on weak legs and looked at her mother. "Mama…" she whispered, her voice heavy. Yuna looked at her. Sakura smiled and tears slid down her cheeks, mixing with the blood and dripping to the ground. "Don't cry… I want you to be happy."

Yuna watched in horror as Sakura moved closer to the cliff and whispered. "This will make you happy." Before jumping to her death.

"Sakura!" Yuna screamed in pain, wanting her baby back.

Sakura heard the scream on the way down and smiled. In some twisted way, her mother still loved her, for that she was happy her favorite person still loved her.

Sakura smiled as she plunged into the water, deciding she loved her mother until the bitter end.

A/N: I had this in my head a long time. R&R and tell me what you thought


	2. Lost and Found

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Yuna walked back to the house at sunrise after a night of staring over the edge of the cliff. Sakura had jumped…she couldn't believe it. She had hoped it was all a nightmare, but the dagger still clutched in her had told her it was all too real.

"Yuna you're back!" one of the girls said, smiling at her. Her smile dropped when she saw the blood and dirt on her friend's kimono. "What happened?!" she asked running to her. "Where's Sakura?"

Yuna couldn't meet her eyes. "Dead." She whispered after a long pause.

The younger girl looked at Yuna, her eyes wide in shock. The little girl that had comforted her when she'd been forced to work here was dead. "No…" she whispered. "It can't be true… it must be a mistake."

Yuna's control snapped, she slapped the teenager and started yelling. "It's true! It's true okay?! She's dead! Gone! Never coming back, and I wand everyone to forget she ever existed! Never bring up that girls name again!" she calmed down and tears started to flow from her eyes. "I need a bath…" she whispered and walked away from the girl.

Yuna took her bath but folded up the blood covered dagger in the kimono she was wearing and hid them under her bed inside Sakura's pillow along with a doll and hair ribbons.

There were the only things she'd be unable to look at. The ribbons Sakura hated, the doll she loved, the pillow she slept on, the knife that had marred her angelic face, and the outfit Yuna had been wearing when she destroyed the one person in the world she loved. The one person that belonged solely to her.

The one that kept her sane, and above all else, happy.

**Elsewhere:**

Ginta and Hakkaku ran as fast as they could behind Kouga but they and the wolves were having trouble keeping up.

"Hey Kouga!" Ginta called panting. "I think we need to stop."

Kouga looked back and called, "You guys can stop wherever you want, Kagome's up ahead and I think it's time I paid my woman a visit." Kouga turned and sped off, leaving in search of Kagome.

Hakkaku stopped and looked at Ginta. "There's a river nearby, should we stop there?"

"Sounds good." Ginta said and let Hakkaku lead the way.

The river was beautiful; the grass was green and soft, perfect for resting on, the trees provided great shade and as they sat and relaxed, they could hear the sound of a waterfall far off somewhere, but the sound was very calming.

Ginta and Hakkaku leaned against the trunk of a tree relaxing. Ginta opened his eyes when a couple of the wolves went hear the water towards something that smelled like death. "What's that?" Ginta asked nudging Hakkaku.

Hakkaku looked and shrugged. "Maybe an animal," he said and closed his eyes. "Let them have it."

Ginta watched as one of the wolves gripped whatever it was by the neck and lifted it, his eyes widened as he realized what it was. "Hakkaku, it's a kid!"

Hakkaku looked up and saw that Ginta was right, they both raced towards the child that had washed up on the waters edge and pushed the wolves away from her. Ginta looked at her, her red hair was soaked, in tangles and matted to her face. He pushed the hair away from her face as he cradled her gently. And saw a gash in her forehead and a cut on her cheek.

Her fingers were cut and her nails were dirty, someone had really done a number on her. "Look at her clothes." Hakkaku said and motioned to the once beautiful outfit. "Looks expensive, you think she's some kind of royalty or nobility?"

"She looks like it." Ginta answered. "You think she's still alive?"

Hakkaku leaned closer; he heard a faint, weak heartbeat. She was alive. "Barely." He said. "What should we do?"

Ginta looked at her "She's lost a lot of blood; she may die no matter what we do." Ginta felt her move slightly, trying to get closer to him. He touched her cold skin and guessed that she was desperate for warmth and in that instant, he wanted to help her. "We should take her to Kagome." He said, standing with the girl in his arms and running off before Hakkaku could say anything.

**Elsewhere:**

"Hey guys…" Kagome said, trying to break Kouga and Inuyasha up from their usual fight. "Can you two just…talk this out?"

"Kagome!" Someone yelled, stopping the fight and causing everyone to look.

Kagome smiled as she realized who it was. "Hakkaku, Ginta." She said smiling and waving to them.

Ginta ran up to her, out of breath. "I thought you two were resting." Kouga said.

"We were." Hakkaku said. "Then we found something…well someone."

Ginta held her up and showed her to Kagome who looked at her in both horror and sympathy. "Can you help her?" he asked. "We don't want her to die, she's just a kid."

Kagome gently took her and held her like she was a china doll. Fragile and would break if dropped. "I…don't know what I can do." She said. "We can take her Kaede's village for help. I'll do everything I can."

"Thank you sister." Ginta and Hakkaku said, relieved.

"We should go now; she doesn't look like she has much life left in her." Kagome said and turned to Sango. "Can I ride on Kirara with her?"

"Of course." Sango said and Kirara hopped off of her shoulder and turned to her full form. Sango helped Kagome up so she wouldn't drop the little girl and Shippo hopped on Kagome's shoulder.

"Is she gonna be okay?" he asked.

"I hope so." Kagome said. "I really hope so."

**Back at the Village:**

Kagome had taken the unconscious child to Kaede as promised, but Ginta, Hakkaku and especially Kouga had still followed her.

Kaede looked the child over "Well." She said. "The girl has no broken bones, but many sprains and bruises. And like ye said Kagome, there is a tremendous amount of blood loss."

"That's a relief." Kagome said. "Will she live?"

"Yes." Kaede answered. "She needs rest and her injuries must be treated, other than that, she'll be fine."

"Good." Ginta said. "But who is she?"

"I don't know the answer to that." The old priestess said.

"Is there anything we can do?" Hakkaku asked.

"Yes." Kaede said. "While Kagome and I tend to her, you two go find her something clean to wear, maybe a doll, she may like one when she wakes up."

Ginta and Hakkaku quickly ran off to find the little girl what she would need, while Kagome shooed everyone out of Kaede's hut.

"What do we do first?" Kagome asked. Kaede handed her a bowl of warm water and a cloth.

"I need ye to clean the child up. She's filthy, and I'll make something to help her heal faster."

Kagome nodded and started to clean the little girls face and smiled when her freckles became visible. She continued to bathe her with the warm water and removed the ruined kimono, grimacing when she saw a deep wound on her back, but carefully cleaning it and wrapping the girl in a blanket.

She then looked at the girls tangled hair and took a comb and brush out of her back pack and started to carefully untangle and brush the red tresses. She parted the top of the girl hair and saw something. "Kaede…" she whispered and pointed to two ears, much like Inuyasha's. "Look…"

Kaede looked at the ears then at Kagome. "Do you suppose she'll be as stubborn or hotheaded as Inuyasha?"

Kagome smiled a little and made the red hair into a braid. "No, I don't think anyone's that hotheaded." She said and gently tweaked the girls' ears, jumping when the child trembled.

"Well that's a good sign," Kaede said. "We know she's alive and responsive." Kaede opened the child's mouth and made her drink something she mixed up. "Now let's bandage her up."

It took them a while to bandage every cut because there were so many. Her fingers were all cut, there was a gash in her forehead, and there was a cut on her cheek that would turn into a scar, a deep gash in her back and smaller scrapes on her arms and legs.

"I wonder what happened to her." Kagome said once they were finished. "I wonder why anyone would want to hurt her."

Ginta and Hakkaku finally came back. "I didn't know what to get her." Ginta said and laid two outfits down.

"It's okay." Kagome said and picked up the pink kimono he brought that was covered in cherry blossom petals. "You did well, and I can bring her more clothes when I go home."

Hakkaku laid a doll next to the sleeping girl, the doll was red headed like she was and wearing pink. "Think she'll like it?" He asked.

"Of course." Kagome said. "I can bring her more clothes for her dolls too… now get out; I need to get her dressed." She shooed them out once again then carefully dressed the girl in her new clothes. "Well, that's the best we can do now."

"Yes it is." Kaede said. "Now we wait." And keep the place warm so she doesn't get sick.

Outside, Shippo's nose was assaulted with the sweet sent or roses and cherries, he followed it inside and saw Kagome huddled over the girl they had found earlier. "Is she awake now?" he asked.

"No." Kagome said. "But you can come in if you don't disturb her."

Shippo bounced in, landing in Kagome's lap and the smell became stronger. He looked at the girl, who was still unconscious but breathing softly. She looked a lot better now, her face was free of dirt and her hair was now tangle free. "Wow," Shippo said. "She's pretty."

Kagome smiled. "That she is."

"Maybe she's a princess." Shippo said. "I wonder what her name is." He got up and looked at her new clothes. "Where'd these come from?" he asked.

"Ginta and Hakkaku brought them and the doll." Kaede answered.

"I wanna get her something too!" Shippo announced.

"Shhh!" Kagome whispered. "What are you going to get?"

"I don't know yet." He said and ran for the door. "I'll find something." With that he was gone.

Kaede and Kagome laughed softly as Shippo's behavior.

**Later:**

Sakura felt weak, but no longer was in pain. And her head was spinning because of so many new smells. She felt a bit heavy. So this was what dieing was like? She turned her head and smelled roses. There were roses in heaven?

She slowly opened her eyes and saw a bunch of pink roses in front of her face. "Oh," a cheerful voice said, "You're finally awake."

Sakura looked up and saw that a kitsune was holding the roses. "Who are you?" she asked softly.

"I'm Shippo." He said and laid the flowers on her chest. "And these are for you." She looked at them then back to Shippo, whose smile fell. "Don't you like them?"

"Yes." She said. "Thank you…but I can't really move that well."

Shippo turned towards the door and yelled. "Kagome! She's awake!" Within seconds there was a flood of people in the hut.

Sakura looked at them all; counting how many people had come in. Three wolf demons; one old priestess, one monk, one demon slayer, one fire cat, one scantily dressed girl and another half demon. Nine people, plus Shippo makes ten. Who where they and what were they planning to do with her?

A/N: That's all for this chapter. I wrote it quickly because I got so many good reviews for the first chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, please R&R again.


	3. The Tree

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Barbie

Shippo sat outside of Kaede's Hut with a now calm Sakura. When everyone came inside the first time, she started yelling and despite not being able to move, she threatened to kill them all, thinking they would hurt her, but Kagome quickly calmed the girl.

Shippo watched as Sakura played with the dolls hair, Sakura had called the doll Yuki, and now, Yuki sat in her lap, in clothing that matched Sakura.

Kagome brought the clothes, saying they were easy to get because Yuki was the same size as something called a "Barbie Doll"

Sakura and Yuki were in matching pink summer dresses and Shippo couldn't stop himself from staring at the girl as her red hair blew in the wind.

Sakura was almost completely healed; the only problem was her badly burned back and her bruised ribs. What was once a gash in her forehead was not just a cut that was covered with a bandage, and, as everyone thought, there was a scar left on her cheek.

Sometimes Sakura woke up screaming that everything was a mistake and she pleaded with them to take her back to the river where they found her, kill her and throw her in. Other times like now, she was silent and had a distant look in her eyes.

Weather she was screaming, silent, sleeping, eating, playing, healing, or bandaged up, Shippo always thought she was pretty.

"Just what are you staring at?" Sakura asked.

Shippo shook his head. "I…I was…"

Sakura smirked slightly, she often caught him staring at her and watching her when he thought she was sleeping. Once he came close to her and touched her ears. Kagome also had a habit of playing with her ears when she was doing her hair.

"Don't worry about it." Sakura said. "I'm not mad." She held Yuki in her lap and leaned against the hut with her eyes closed.

Shippo, now embarrassed looked away from her now, trying to focus on other things, he watched a few insects fly by and soon a butterfly flew near and fluttered around Sakura's face.

Sakura opened her eyes slightly, but when the butterfly landed on her nose, her eyes widened a bit more and she crossed her eyes to look at it.

Shippo laughed and suddenly wished he had one of those things Kagome called a camera. He'd seen her take pictures with it and he wanted a picture of Sakura, she just looked so cute with her eyes crossed and a butterfly on her nose with its wings open like a mask.

Sakura sniffed slightly, she was positive this was the same butterfly she saw while playing in the fields near the performance house.

The butterfly walked up her nose and to her forehead, flying to her hair, after another flower, sure enough, Sakura had a little red flower in her hair, one Shippo had picked, he was rather fond of doing so or finding gifts for her.

Every one of them found contentment spending time with her or doing something with her.

The slayer, who she found out, was named Sango talked a lot to her, especially after finding that her mother was the one who made the attempt on her life. She told Sakura that she was almost killed by her brother, Sakura pretended not to be interested in the conversations, but secretly, she looked forward to them and always kept her ears open.

Kagome, the one who wore strange clothes was fond of bringing her similar clothes and things and dressing her up like a little doll and putting bows in her hair. Once Sakura had pulled her hair into pigtails and Kagome had a fit and instantly removed them because they hid her "Adorable ears" if they were so adorable, why did her mother try to kill her?

Kouga, Ginta and Hakkaku, upon realizing that she was a wolf like them, took it upon themselves to teach her how to be one. She listened to Ginta and Hakkaku, remembering their voices, knowing they were the ones who rescued her, at first she was mad at them for not letting her stay there and die, then she was grateful. She thought of them as her big brothers, they even called her little sister.

Kouga, she suspected, only took an interest in her because of Kagome. She wasn't as patient or sweet with Kouga as she was with her big brothers. He thought just because he was the alpha of his tribe, that she was supposed to do what he said, he expected her to be docile, something she never was. She believed that a female should only be docile to her mate or someone she respected.

She didn't have a mate yet, but she respected Ginta, Hakkaku, and Kaede.

Whenever Kouga tried to teach her to hunt, he over exerted her and constantly upset her, causing her to start screaming, stomping her feet and throwing punches at Kouga. She made such a ruckus that everyone who heard her wails suspected he was beating her.

Whenever she screamed, Hakkaku would bring her fresh meat, cut it for her and feed her, she never had fresh meat when living with her mother and didn't know how good it was, and then Ginta would take her to play in a river or meadow.

When they didn't come to her rescue, which was rare, Inuyasha came. He was a half demon too and that somehow made him understand her better. He knew she didn't have the energy Kouga insisted she had and knew that's what caused her tantrums. He would take her and jump into a tree with her and let her pout silently.

When he wasn't looking, she left the tree and went to find Kaede, who enjoyed her company. Kaede would take her along when she went to get herbs and told her what each one was and what it was used for. Sakura once found one behind a rock and brought it to Kaede and smiled at her, telling her the plant could be crushed and used to draw poison and infection from a wound, Kaede then patted her head and congratulated her on a job well done.

Sakura was proud when she made Kaede happy so she spent as much time around her as she could. Once she caught a rabbit on her on and surprised everyone when she didn't eat it on her own, instead she snapped its neck and took it to Kaede to make stew. Kaede laughed and thanked the girl, patting her head again. Sakura smiled and then skinned the animal and cleaned it, making a mess and ruining a yellow sundress from Kagome.

Everyone seemed upset with her for making such a mess in Kaede's hut, but Kaede was calm and washed the blood off of her and changed her into a different dress. "I'm sorry." Sakura whispered, fighting back tears, she hadn't meant to make anyone mad.

Kaede smiled at her and took her hands saying "Ye have nothing to apologize for. Ye are still a child and that's what children do…they make messes. But ye did well with the rabbit, it can still be cooked." Kaede heard Sakura sniffle and whimper softly. "Don't go getting upset." Kaede said. "Ye did something very nice for me and that's nothing to be sad about. Ye have every right to be proud of yourself right now childe."

It was needless to say that Sakura favored the old woman out of any of them; she was nothing like her mothers description of humans. He mother said Humans were vile and vicious, she called them the scum of the earth and told Sakura to stay away from them, they were murderous and would kill her like they done to Yuna's family and then they had sold her to Leiko. "Would you ever sell me to the old bat mama?" Sakura asked.

"No," Yuna said. "It would make me just as bad as the humans, besides, I love you Sakura, and one day, I'll make sure you make it out of here."

_It was a lie. _Sakura thought with closed eyes, as the butterfly sucked nectar from the flower in her hair. _You only wanted me to make it out to be rid of me…You never loved me at all…did you mama? _

Shippo looked up as he smelled salt and looked at Sakura. Sure enough, tears were rolling down her pink cheeks.

Sakura watches as the butterfly flew away from her hair and fluttered around her face before flying off, perhaps it was thanking her. Sakura stood once the bug was gone and started to walk away. Shippo followed. "Where are you going?" He asked, trying to catch up with her.

"For a walk," Sakura said and kept moving. "Now leave me alone." Sakura walked but heard Shippo's footsteps and growled menacingly. "I don't need your company." She said and ran off, knowing that even though she was a half demon, wolves were faster than foxes, and the fact that she was taller and had longer legs made it even easier to escape him.

Shippo watched her go, he was confused. She had been moody since she woke up, he noticed that Sakura could go to grateful, to spiteful, to happy, to sassy, to sweet, to mad then depressed in one instant. He didn't know what was causing all of this, but he knew it was dangerous to her, she couldn't handle all of the emotions inside of her and he was scared she'd break down and hurt herself.

Shippo took a deep breath and quickly caught Sakura's scent, although he couldn't keep up with her, he could still find her. By the time he did, it was almost dark, he found her in the woods, sitting up, leaning against a tree, sleeping. "Sakura…" he whispered and moved closer to her, he sighed in relief when he saw no new injuries, accidental or self-inflicted.

She looked so peaceful in her sleep, as if everything was all right with her so he didn't disturb her, she needed that peaceful moment. Shippo moved closer and looked at her face, touching the scar on her cheek. She never told him about herself before she ended up in the river or who was to blame for her being there but whoever did it was to blame for her instability.

She would constantly jump when Kagome tried to treat the burn on her back, she had gone into a fit of rage when Kagome accidentally touched it too hard and started clawing at her, after that day Kaede was the only one who would treat her because Sakura wouldn't attack her.

Kaede burned calming incense in the room that kept Sakura still and most of the time afterwards; Sakura would take a nap after Kaede was done with her.

Shippo wanted to go back and tell everyone where they were, but he didn't want to leave her. While she was deep in her slumber, Shippo crawled into her lap and curled up, inhaling her scent until he himself fell asleep.

**Later:**

Sakura woke up much later, it was dark she felt something moving against her stomach. She looked down and saw Shippo gripping her dress with one hand and nuzzling his cheek against her stomach; she smiled a little and carefully lifted him, holding him against her chest as she walked back to the village.

He stopped moving; maybe he was calmer hearing her heart beat. She walked back to the village and sighed, knowing many questions awaited her once she returned; there had been nothing but questions since she got here.

It wasn't that she disliked them, she just hated the way they tried to pry into her life. They were trying to get her to open up, but she didn't want to. What was there to open up about? Her mother tried to kill her, end of story. It was none of their business, why didn't they understand that?

Sango knew it was her mother, but she never told, knowing Sakura was embarrassed by it. It's not that she told Sango, Sango guessed when Sakura woke up from a nightmare. Sango told her she was crying "Mama Stop, Mama I'm sorry, Mama don't kill me."

She made her way back and slipped her shoes off before going inside, relieved there was no one inside. Maybe they were out looking for her and Shippo.

Sakura laid out Kagome's sleeping bag and tried to put Shippo on it, but he wasn't releasing her dress. She didn't want to ruin another one so she sighed, defeated and laid down with him and curled up on her side around him. Maybe he was afraid she'd run off again.

Why did he care? It made no sense to her, he barely knew her, she was mean to him, but he still cared. And she was glad he did.

But she didn't know why she cared if he did or not. She shrugged it off and closed her eyes, she was exhausted and her emotions seemed so out of control today, she left Shippo earlier before she had a chance to say or do something to the kitsune that she would regret.

She opened her eyes for second when she felt him nuzzling against her again; she smiled a little and closed her eyes.

No one could find the children, they reported back to the hut to see if maybe they had come back and they were all relieved to see Sakura and Shippo curled up in Kagome's sleeping bag.

"They're alright." Kagome sighed in relief. "They're asleep."

Miroku looked and when he saw Shippo, he laughed softly. "It looks like Shippo is growing up." He said, everyone looked at him, "Look at how he's sleeping against her." Miroku pointed out. "And how now he always spends his time with Sakura, and have any of you seen the way he looks at her? I think Shippo may be falling for her."

Ginta and Hakkaku knew that was a possibility. Sakura was pleasant to be around with a scent that could soothe the most disgruntled person.

She was playful, light hearted, and a very beautiful child. If she was older and they didn't consider her their sister, they would both pursue her, and but the time she was of mating age, they'd have a hard time keeping all males off of her. Right now their main concern was Shippo. They sniffed the air and growled lowly.

Shippo's scent was all over Sakura.

**Next day:**

"I don't want a bath." Sakura protested as Kaede filled a large tub with water and medicinal herbs. Sakura looked at the wooden tub that Kaede had borrowed from someone in the village and watched as the water turned green from the plants, some of them plants that Sakura had found herself.

"Weather ye want it or not is not the issue, it is needed for two reasons, one, the medicines will heal those wounds faster and prevent infections, and two, you're filthy once more, get in now." Kaede said this firmly and gently at the same time, firmly because Sakura would not listen if she gave into her and gently because she didn't want to upset the child.

Sakura pouted and removed her dress, Sitting Yuki on top of Kagome's Yellow bag and proceeded to get in the wooden tub. It looked like it may have been used for laundry or to hold fruit, but it was big and sturdy enough to hold Sakura and her bathwater.

Sakura may have not wanted a bath, but at least she could bathe privately. She sat in the water and winced as the water flowed into her cuts and burns once she was able to relax and let the medicine do it's job, she found it worked very well, even the pain where her rib were was dulled.

Kaede stayed for a little and poured the water over Sakura's back, making sure the burn would get enough medicine. She then was careful washing her face, careful to get the spot where a gash had once been. "There," Kaede said. "I'm done; now I'm going to run an errand, stay in the tub until you're clean."

"Fine." Sakura said. "But weather clean or not, I'm not staying in here if my skin starts to wrinkle." Kaede left, after setting out a new outfit for Sakura, it was a simple kimono, yellow with white flowers around the bottom and around the bottoms of the sleeves and a yellow obi, it was made for summer, so she knew Sakura wouldn't get hot in it.

The little girl washed her self, knowing Kaede would make her take another bath if she wasn't clean, once she felt she was clean, she closed her eyes and submerged her body in the water, her flame like hair floated in every direction, making it look like there was a fire on her head. She easily held her breath and stayed on the bottom of the tub for a while.

**Elsewhere:**

Shippo bounced towards Kaede's hut, he saw Sakura going into there earlier and decided to leave her for a while, now he found a place in the woods where beautiful red flowers grew and wanted to show her. Red seemed to be her favorite color so he was sure she'd like them.

He ran faster and pulled her covering aside to get in so he could get Sakura and show her the flowers, he wanted to cheer her up, she was crying yesterday and although she seemed fine this morning, he still thought it would be nice to show her. "Hey Sakura!" he yelled and ran in.

What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

**Elsewhere:**

Sakura was still under the water, just relaxing. She soon came to the surface and took a deep breath, wringing out her hair and drying her eyes.

She smiled a little then shuttered when she felt the dead skin from her burn soften and float off of her back _I'm clean enough. _She thought and got up quickly before the skin had a chance to touch her. She stepped out and onto a towel before that was next to the tub and used the other to dry her body.

As she moved to dry her hair, someone ran into the hut and called her. She quickly covered and turned to see Shippo staring at her, wide eyed and red faced.

"I…I…" Shippo started.

Sakura's face was red in anger and embarrassment. "Get out." She said.

"I'm sorry," Shippo tried to apologize but narrowly dodged one of Sakura's new sandals.

"Leave!" Sakura screeched so loud half the village heard. Shippo left the hut quickly and ran back into the woods.

Sakura was mad at him and he hated it.

**Later:**

Shippo came back to the hut later, when he was sure Sakura was calmer. "Hi," he said softly, finding Sakura sitting inside, playing with Yuki.

"Hi." Sakura said and smiled at him.

Shippo was confused. "Aren't you mad at me?"

Sakura shook her head. "No," she said. "It was an accident…just… don't rush in so quickly next time. Kaede's been giving me some kind or herbal baths to help me heal faster."

"Do they help?" Shippo asked.

"Yeah." Sakura admitted, and then shook her hair "And it makes my hair shine…tail too."

Shippo nodded and came closer to Sakura, something behind his back. Sakura looked at him curiously then watched as he held out a type of flower she'd never seen before. But it was red, her favorite color.

"Wow!" Sakura said. "It's so pretty!"

Shippo held it closer her and said, "Kagome said it's called a carnation…and it's for you."

Sakura smiled and took it, thanking him. "You don't have to always bring me flowers." Sakura said.

"But you like them." Shippo argued. He didn't add that he liked to see her face light up when she got them, or that he was bringing her flowers because he kept thinking of her.

"I think this one's my favorite." She said and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Shippo."

"I wanted to show you where they grow…that's why I ran in here earlier."

"Will you still show me?" she asked hopefully.

Shippo nodded. He knew she'd like to see the place, but he told her it would have to be tomorrow because it was so late. Sakura agreed and smiled, she couldn't wait until tomorrow.

**Later that night:**

Shippo couldn't sleep. He kept looking at Sakura who was curled up in her own new sleeping bag from Kagome with a picture on it of someone called Hannah Montana.

He looked around to make sure no one was awake and slid out of Kagome's arms. He walked over to Sakura and slid in beside her. "Sakura," he whispered and gently nudged her.

Sakura slowly opened her eyes and looked at Shippo. She yawned softly, wondering why he wasn't over there with Kagome. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Remember when I walked in on you today?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sakura answered, "Why?"

"Well…" Shippo said nervously. "I saw something and I was wondering…can I see your back again?"

Sakura was suddenly wide awake…what did he just ask her? She looked to see if he was joking, he was completely serious. He wanted to see her back.

She searched his eyes and saw that he had no intentions of harming her if she did what he asked so she sat up and loosened her clothes, letting the kimono fall around her waist.

She felt Shippo's eyes on her and soon, he was tracing the outside of her burn with his finger. "It's a tree." He whispered.

"Huh?" Sakura asked and looked at him.

"On your back," he explained. "The mark looks like a tree."

Sakura huffed as if to say that this was nonsense as she fixed her clothes and lay back down. Shippo smiled and lay beside her. It was silent for a few minutes before Sakura finally whispered. "What kind of tree?"

Shippo smiled and nuzzled her back where the burn mark would leave a scar. "A cherry blossom tree." He whispered and slowly fell asleep against her back.

A/N: R&R please and give me Ideas for the next chapter. This one was mainly the children and how Sakura adjusts to her new surroundings. Tell me what I should do next.


	4. Warning Growls

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Sakura walked slowly, careful not to step on anything. When she heard nothing she moved closer to the ground and kept her ears open. _Where are you? _She thought, hoping to catch a glimpse of her target _Come out, come out, wherever you are. _She thought and kept looking.

She stayed still a few moments and heard a twig snap, she quickly looked in the direction the sound came from and saw her target. He wasn't going to escape her this time. She ran after him, but he was faster. She jumped into a tree and started leaping from branch to branch until she was ahead of him.

While she was in the tree waiting, she took a quick glimpse around. _So he's headed for the village? I won't let him get there. _She got ready to jump when she heard running in her direction. She grinned when he got close enough and sprang from the tree, effectively landing on his back and pinning him down. "I win!" Sakura yelled victoriously.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha growled. He couldn't believe she had attacked him, but secretly, he was proud of her.

Sakura giggled and rolled off of him, lying on her stomach beside him. "If Kagome heard you, she'd sit you."

"Yeah, don't remind me." He said and took a leaf out of her hair.

"Ginta! Hakkaku! I win!" Sakura yelled into the trees where she knew her brothers were watching. "I won and now I'm hungry!" she sang. "How about I go catch a rabbit?"

"No!" the three of them yelled remembering what had happened the last time she caught one.

Sakura nodded. "Then you find something, I'm gonna go play with Shippo." She said and ran off to find her friend.

Once Sakura was back at the village, she quickly found him. "Did you ditch them?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sakura said. "They're nice, but they're just so protective…did you get Kagome to bring those things you said you'd bring?"

"Yeah!" Shippo said and held up two small backpacks, one green, and one pink. "She even gave us these."

Sakura took the pink one and put it on her back. "I'll thank her when we get back, we should go before Ginta and Hakkaku come back here."

"And Inuyasha." Shippo said walking with her.

"Oh, I'm not worried about him." Sakura told Shippo. "He won't try to stop us."

"He'll probably be glad to get rid of us." Shippo said as he led Sakura into the forest.

"He's not that bad." Sakura said with a giggle. "He's nice to me."

"Yeah, just you." Shippo reminded her.

Sakura smiled and let him walk with her. According to him they were just exploring, when they asked Kagome if they could she went back to her time and brought them back a few things they could take with them.

In Shippo's backpack there was a map of the forest, water, food, a Polaroid she had purchased for him, sunglasses she thought he would like and a first aid kit.

Sakura's bag held the same things but there was a small sketchbook incase she decided to draw something she saw, there was a hat in her bag so that the sun wouldn't burn her neck, nose and shoulder and because her bag was bigger Kagome had put the blanket in Sakura's bag.

"I hope we find something." Sakura said. "I wanna take a picture of a butterfly and bring it back to Kaede."

Shippo looked at her. "Why do you like Kaede so much?"

Sakura stopped for a second. "Well…" she said. "I think it's maybe because I've never had a grandmother…maybe that's why. And she treats me like that's what she is to me."

"Never in your life?" Shippo asked.

"No," Sakura said. "Never."

Shippo nodded. "Well…when I was really little, my mother died, so I didn't know what it was like…" he looked to see if Sakura was paying attention. "But when I met Kagome, It was different; she's kind of my mom now."

Sakura smiled. "Well I hope you're happy with her…" she paused. "You must never make her upset."

Shippo looked at her, wondering why she said that when he suddenly got an idea. "Hey, you want Kagome to be your mother too?"

"Uh…" Sakura said softly. "Probably not."

Shippo continued. "She's really great; you two are a lot alike, she'd like having a daughter."

"I don't want another mother." Sakura said softly, but Shippo continued to tell her what it would be like. "That's enough!" Sakura yelled causing Shippo to freeze in his tracks. "I already had a mother and she didn't want me…I never want another."

Shippo looked at her. Her mother didn't want her? She kept her head down and walked past him but he grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry." Shippo said. "I didn't mean to…"

"I know you didn't." Sakura said. "I know you're just trying to make me feel welcome…but look at me Shippo, I'm a half demon, and even though I love it, I'll never be welcome anywhere…I'll never be wanted…"

"Who says you're not wanted?" Shippo asked.

Sakura sat down in the grass. "The girls where my mother works…they said it…in the kitchen, they were in a circle, whispering but I heard them. 'Poor Yuna' they said. 'Being saddled with that child forever…she's a half breed and no man will touch her, and she's so stupid, the only thing she'll ever be smart enough to do is lay on her back and open her legs for pay'" Sakura put her head in her hands and shook.

Shippo hopped onto the rock beside her and hugged her. He didn't know what those words meant, but he knew they hurt Sakura.

"They were right." Sakura whispered. "Even my own mother didn't want me."

Shippo looked at her. "Was she the one that put you in the river?"

Sakura shook her head. "I jumped into the river…after she attacked me…I just wanted her to be happy…" she suddenly burst into tears. "I don't know what I did wrong! I tried to be good! I never complained much, I ignored the way they treated me and I defended her from her boss! I did everything for her! I even let them drug me! Why didn't she want me Shippo?"

Shippo was on the verge of tears himself. Sakura was so young and had already suffered more than he had. No wonder she was so opposed to having a new mother, she couldn't trust another one.

After he had calmed her down and given her a drink of water, she told him she wanted to continue their little adventure and the pair set out again.

Sakura ran ahead of Shippo when she heard birds and look out her camera, she was able to take a picture of a little blue bird sitting on a bush. "That was so cool!" Sakura said, referring to her new camera, she took out the picture and shook it until the image of the bird appeared. "Amazing!"

"Yeah." Shippo said. "Kagome's from the future so she has a lot of strange things."

"You really like her huh?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah," He told her. "A lot."

"How much?" Sakura asked and turned to face him. "Do you feel like maybe you love her?"

Shippo looked up at Sakura, the wind had caught in her hair and clothes and the sun shone on her hair, giving her a heavenly glow. He raised his own camera and took a picture. "I love Kagome, but like a mother." He said and shook the picture he took of her. "Besides, I kind of like someone else."

Sakura looked at him and walked closer. "Is that me?"

Shippo looked up at her, red faced, thinking maybe he said too much. "Wh-what?" he asked, shaking.

"In the picture silly," she said and tried to get a look at it. "Did you take one of me? Do I look okay?" Shippo quickly hid the picture behind his back, afraid she would take it away from him. "I must look really stupid if you won't show me."

"No! Not at all!" Shippo said and held up the photo for her to see.

Sakura looked at it and smiled; she couldn't believe it, she actually looked good! He had caught her while her hair and her dress were caught in the wind and while the sun was shining on her, almost as if it was shining on her just for that picture, she was standing with her picture of the bird in one hand and one hand against a tree. "I actually look pretty."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that you were?" Shippo asked.

"Yes…" Sakura said. "My mother and…someone else did too…"

Sakura remembered the time Leiko had called her pretty, but she knew it wasn't a compliment, she meant it in a threatening way.

Sakura was 4 and had just gotten over flu; her mother put work on hold and took care of her. "You're in the way." Leiko said. "You're interfering with my money."

"I can't help it if mama loves me more than she likes working." Sakura said smartly and ate some of her soup. "With a boss like you, I can see why."

Leiko was boiling, but didn't show it, she didn't show it. She slipped her hand under the child's chin and said "Such a pretty face, I'd hade for an accident to mar such exquisite features."

Sakura glared at her and threw the hot soup in the woman's face before leaving the room. She went to the bath and scrubbed her face several time, but still it didn't feel clean.

She shuddered at the memory and kept walking.

Shippo looked at her. Didn't she know she was pretty? Everyone thought so. Even Inuyasha admitted that she was, "Alright."

Shippo looked at the picture, he wanted to keep it, but if Sakura liked the way she looked in it… "Here," he said handing her the small Polaroid picture. "Keep it."

Sakura looked at him them smiled a little. "No," Sakura said. "You keep it, you took it…So I'll take one of you later, that way it'll be fair."

Shippo smiled and put the picture into a pocket on his book bag. "That sounds fair."

"Let's keep going," Sakura told him. "We should keep going so we can get back before it gets dark."

Sakura took pictures of different flowers, butterflies and a small turtle, Shippo took ones of lizards, including a snake he saw resting on a rock, they stopped for a while and then took silly pictures of each other.

It was almost sun set and the two of them had now stopped and were eating the food Kagome had packed.

"That was fun." Shippo said, drinking the fruit juice that was in his bag.

"Yeah, it was." Sakura said and picked up a cookie. "We should do it again some time. I like spending time with you Shippo."

Shippo smiled and continued to talk to her, telling her about many of the adventures he had with his friends, she seemed very interested, especially when he told her about Kaguya.

"No way!" Sakura laughed. "She had to kiss him to calm him down?"

"Yeah, it's true." Shippo said.

"And they fight like that?" Shippo laughed at his friends statement, Sakura smiled then asked. "Have you ever kissed anyone?"

Shippo blushed, deep red staining his cheeks. "No…have you?"

Sakura thought about it. "Well…kind of…"

He looked at her, a feeling going through him, one he didn't understand…he was…jealous? Who was it that had Sakura's first kiss?

Sakura looked at him. "Oh! It's not what you think. I didn't want it."

"What?" Shippo asked, confused.

"Well…"

**Flashback:**

Sakura was supposed to stay in the room while her mother worked, but tonight she simply couldn't. The girls there that wanted children of their own treated Sakura like a pet.

They were constantly playing with her, reading to her, tickling her, or buying her small trinkets. Today, they had given her way too much to drink and she had to go. Bad.

One thing she would never do was force herself to wait to go to the washroom or wet herself.

She rounded the corner on her way back to the room and bumped into a man who was coming out of one of the rooms and fixing his clothes, he looked at Sakura and without fear, she stared back at him.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"None of your business," she said and tried to walk around him, but he stood in her way.

"Where'd you come from little girl?" he asked and lifted her chin to get a better look at her.

Sakura pushed his arm away. "My room." She said and tried to pass him again, but he blocked her once more. "What do you want?" she asked and looked up at him, the smell of Sake and sex filling her nostrils.

"Allow me to escort you back to your room." He said.

"No thanks!" Sakura said with her hand on her hips and stomping her foot. "I can go by myself."

The man kneeled down to face Sakura, but she didn't flinch or shy away once. "Such a stubborn girl with such a pretty face."

Sakura was about to say something when the man suddenly pulled her close and inhaled her scent deeply. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" she asked loudly.

"You smell sweet," he said and took another breath "and so pure."

"Just what do you want?" Sakura asked but nearly choked when the man holding her kissed her. The taste of alcohol filled her mouth when he forced his tongue between her lips. She bit down hard and slapped him as hard as she could across the face, tiny claws leaving bleeding scratches. "Don't do that!" she yelled.

The man laughed and grabbed her arm. "You are spirited." He said. "I'll have a fine time breaking you."

Something inside Sakura snapped and her dark eyes started to bleed red. "Let go of me you bastard!" she yelled and touched his sleeve instantly caught fire.

The man screamed, trying to put out the fire that was quickly spreading to the rest of his clothes.

She wanted to stay and cause more damage, but her rational side told her is she stayed she would get both her and her mother in trouble and it would be discovered that she was a half demon.

She ran out of the hallway, out of the house and into the forest until she could get back under control, tiny hands destroying any animal or vegetation that was foolish enough to cross her path.

**End Flashback:**

Shippo sat there, stunned. Her old home sounded like a horrible place and he wondered what other terrors she had endured there.

Sakura looked at him. "Now that I'm not there anymore, I'm starting to realize how awful it was…and how lonely I was."

"Do you still feel lonely?" he asked.

"No," she answered. "I have you here, don't I?" Shippo's face turned red and Sakura smiled softly. She leaned over and pecked him on the lips softly.

"What was that?!" Shippo asked, surprised.

"A kiss." Sakura said. "Didn't you like it?"

Shippo looked at her. "But why?"

"You said you never kissed anybody," she said. "And I never kissed anyone and wanted to."

Shippo looked at her. Did that mean she liked him? "Sakura…"

"Hmm?" she said but when she turned to him, was rewarded with a soft kiss. She smiled and kissed back, enjoying this. "Is that what it's supposed to be like? I'm supposed to like it?"

Shippo blushed. "I dunno…I liked it."

Sakura smiled. "Let's go back now, I bet they miss us by now."

The two of them packed up their things and walked back to Kaede's hut. When they walked in, everyone was there. Shippo doubted they would go searching for the shards again until Sakura was completely healed. Kagome wouldn't allow it.

"Hi everyone!" Sakura chimed cheerfully and ran to her brothers, hopping into Hakkaku's lap.

"Where did you go?" Ginta asked.

"Exploring," Sakura answered, "Shippo and I went into the forest."

Ginta and Hakkaku smiled at the little girl but suddenly, they started growling, causing everyone in the room to get stiff.

Sakura tensed and moved past Inuyasha, who suddenly sniffed the air when she passed, to Sango. "What's their problem?" she whispered.

"I don't know." Sango said softly.

Inuyasha looked at her. "Sakura?" he asked. "When you were gone did anything happed?"

"Like what?" Sakura asked.

Shippo moved closer to Sakura and that's when the growls became threatening. Sango, Miroku, Kagome and Kaede didn't understand, but every demon in the hut understood.

The smell of Shippo was strongly missed with Sakura's and Ginta and Hakkaku were warning Shippo to stay away from their little sister.

No one expected what happened next.

Shippo growled back at them, warning them not to threaten him and telling them they couldn't keep him away from Sakura.

A/N: Well, it's like kagomes pup said. Shippo has ended up on the wrong side of two wolfs, but he isn't backing down, is he? R&R please.


	5. Runaway

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Sakura laid in the middle of the forest on the blanket she and Shippo used for their picnic blanket, she was sprawled out on it with Shippo on her stomach.

Shippo looked at Sakura, she hadn't spoken to him all day and he wondered is her "brothers" had told her not to. "Sakura?" he asked. "Why wont you speak to me?" there was no response. "If it's about Ginta and Hakkaku, I'm not scared of them. They can't stop me from being around you."

"You're an idiot, know that?" Sakura asked. Shippo looked at her confused and asked what he did. "You challenged them!" she yelled. "Don't you know not to challenge a male wolf when he's sworn to protect a female?! They'll tear you to pieces!"

"So you're worried about me?" Shippo asked, grinning.

Sakura snarled at him, pushed him off of her stomach and rolled to her side where her back was to him. "No! Why would I be worried about an idiot with a death wish?"

Shippo moved closer and heard her sniffling. Fear rolled off of her in waves and it made him sick. "Sakura?"

She rolled back over and scooped him into her arms. "Don't do that again." She whimpered. "You're my friend…my best friend and I don't want to loose you."

"You won't loose me." He promised.

"Shippo, if Ginta and Hakkaku see you as a threat to me, they'll kill you without a second thought." She sat up and looked at him. "If it gets bad then you have to stay away from me and that's all there is to it."

"I wouldn't stay away." He argued.

"Then I'll avoid you like the plague!" she yelled. "I'll run when I see you coming, there's no way you can keep up with me! But I won't get you killed."

Shippo looked up at Sakura who looked near tears. He hated seeing her so upset and blamed her brothers for it. They had her worried and upset for no reason, she had done nothing but make a friend. What was so wrong with that?

"I'm sorry." Sakura whispered. "I just cause trouble…I should go back where I came from." She grabbed her back pack and slid it onto her back, fully prepared to leave them.

"No way!" Shippo said loudly. "Your mother will just finish what she started!"

"And what's so bad about that?" Sakura asked sadly. "Who cares if I die? I'm nobody."

Sakura suddenly found herself knocked onto her back with a very angry Shippo on top of her. He gripped the front of her dress and shook her as he spoke. "Never say something so stupid again! I would care if you died, we all would! I would mourn for you the rest of my life Sakura! I might even die myself, is that what you want?!"

Sakura shook as she looked up at him, his eyes were turning red. How did she manage to get on his bad side so easily? And just when did he get strong enough to knock her over? "Shippo…" she whispered, scared to move. "You're hurting me…"

Shippo quickly snapped out of it and let her go. He felt her fear and he knew he was the one to cause it. At that moment he hated himself for hurting her. He didn't meant to, but when he heard how she truly though of herself, it made him mad. Why did she think that way? Didn't she see what everyone else saw?

"Sakura," Shippo said softly. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean-"

Before he could finish Sakura ran away, faster than he'd ever seen her or anyone else run. He tried to follow but it was just as she predicted, he couldn't keep up with her.

Sakura ran as fast as she could, she didn't know where she was going or how she would get there, but she wasn't going to stop.

It was dark when she finally stopped, her lungs felt like they were going to burst and her heart was racing. She looked around and saw a river nearby, walking closer to it; she realized this was where she was found. _Then I must not be too far from mama._

She sat down and pulled her knees up to her chest, if she stayed here and her mother found her, everything would be perfect. Ginta and Hakkaku wouldn't have to waste their time with her and they wouldn't hurt Shippo. _I just have to stay here._

Sakura wasn't there long when she heard a whimper. She looked around and saw nothing so she tilted her nose into the air and definitely smelled blood. "Hello?" she called and stood up, looking for whoever made the sound.

She followed her nose and was instantly confused; she smelled human blood but also smelled a demon, a very strong one. "Who's there?" she asked, she reached into her bag and pulled out a flashlight, shining it over the area, and she suddenly saw a flash of orange duck behind a large rock and growled. "Show your self!" she ordered.

She heard the grass rustling and crunching as a small girl hopped around the rock on one foot, her hands on the rock to keep her up, there was blood dripping onto the ground from the leg the girl couldn't keep on the ground. "Don't hurt me." The girl whimpered.

Sakura shone the light in the girls face and nearly dropped it. The girl looked just like Kagome! Was it possible Kagome had a daughter that she cast aside just like Sakura's mother had done to her?

She doubted it.

Kagome was too nice, and loved children…in fact, that silly girl loved everyone. It was impossible for this girl to be Kagome's child; she didn't even smell like her. Everyone she knew, smelled a little like their mother, not matter how many other smells they came in contact with. Sakura knew her scent was sweet, but if you really focused on the smell, you could smell rain. Her mother.

Yuna had always smelled like rain. Kagome smelled like honey and this girl smelled like earth…and like a demon.

Kagome was from the future, so maybe this girl was a relative. "Who are you?" Sakura asked.

The girl cried and whispered. "My name is Rin."

Sakura looked at her leg, "What happened?"

Rin broke down and cried, saying that a snake demon attacked her and bit her leg, but her caretaker ripped it away from her, she hobbled backwards and rolled down a hill and into the river. "I ended up hear and when I heard someone I hid behind the rock…then you started yelling and…and…don't kill me!"

Sakura blinked and shone the light on herself. Rin looked at her and calmed down, seeing that Sakura was a little smaller than she was. "I'm a kid too, now shut up, your crying is irritating."

Sakura went through her bag and found two beach towels as Kagome called them; she laid them out and helped in to one. "You'd better sit a while." Rin did as Sakura instructed while Sakura looked through her bag and took out a small white box. "We better clean up your leg before another demon smells your blood and comes to kill us both." Sakura said, not bothering to sugar coat things.

She found her old ruined dress and an empty water bottle. Filling it with water from the river she came back and shredded the dress to make a rag. Shining her flashlight on Rin's leg, she saw two puncture wounds below her knee and where when the snake demon was pulled away, it took skin with it. She started to wash the blood off and looked into her first aid kit.

She easily bandaged up Rin's leg and put everything away but still Rin whimpered in pain. Sakura sat on her knees beside Rin and focused so that her fire power would warm her hands without actually igniting.

She had used the time she was with Shippo and the others to learn how to use her fire at her own will incase something happened.

She ran her hands over the bandages slowly and said "There…it doesn't hurt any more, it's all better, dry your eyes and rest little human." Her mind started to drift back to what her mother said about her becoming a healer one day and suddenly that didn't seem like such a bad idea to her.

Rin started to calm down as the other girls warm hands made the pain fade. "Thank you…" she sniffled. "What's your name?"

"It's Sakura." She answered and stood up. "You wait here, I'll be right back."

"Sakura…" Rin whined, afraid of being abandoned and alone again.

Sakura looked at her "If I was leaving you here, would I leave my stuff?" she asked as if reading the other girls mind. Rin seemed to relax and Sakura ran to get firewood, it didn't take but a few minutes and she came back and started a fire to help get Rin warm. She sat on the other beach towel and lay down but could feel Rin's eyes on her.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at her.

Rin looked back "It's not often you see a human with hair like yours…" Sakura laughed. Human? Was this girl blind? "What's so funny?" Rin asked.

Sakura sat up and leaned closer to the fire, revealing her ears and held up her tail. "I'm only half human. My father was human and my mother is part wolf and part fire demon…you thought I was human?"

Rin blushed. "You seem so human…you act like one."

Sakura shrugged. "Not surprised…but after what I did I'm surprised you think I'm human…oh well, get some sleep." She closed her eyes and felt a hand grip her dress, she opened her eyes and looked at Rin. "I guess you've never been alone before."

Rin sighed. "I have and I don't like it."

Sakura looked at her. "I do," Rin looked at her confused. "If I was alone, I wouldn't hurt anyone…or make them mad or make them cry…that's all I seem to do."

She whispered that last part as she remembered her mother crying over her bloody form and Shippo, his eyes red as he pushed her into the ground and yelled at her. She didn't want that to happen again. She wanted to be alone and die so she would cause no more trouble.

Rin looked at her and smiled. "That's not true." Sakura looked at her. "You can also help people…you helped me…I bet you've helped someone other than me."

Sakura smiled as she thought of Kaede who she did help out when she went looking for herbs and a few times she had hunted for the elderly woman. She'd also helped her mother but taking care of her when she got sick. Maybe Rin was right about her being able to help…but she caused more harm than she did help.

She looked at Rin who at sometime had moved closer was now almost nose to nose with her. "Go to sleep." She said. "I wouldn't leave anyone who couldn't fend for themselves alone and in the dark."

Rin smiled a little and closed her eyes and Sakura let her aura surround the area. Hanyou or not, no one was foolish enough to attack a wolf who was defending someone…no one except maybe Shippo.

Anyone who tried to get close, human or not would feel her energy and turn around, they wouldn't get close enough to see that she was a child.

_I'm not doing this for her. _Sakura told herself. _If something happens to Rin is could stop Kagome from being born…but I'm not doing this for Kagome either…but for Shippo…without Kagome, he'd be alone. _

Once she was sure no one would come for them, she closed her eyes and fell into a light sleep. She would help Rin then go about her business.

As she drifted off, she couldn't help but wonder what demon would care for a human child.

A/N: R&R please, tell me what you think, and thank you everyone for your positive reviews, I'm glad you like this story so far.


	6. travel trouble

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Rin woke up and almost instantly panicked. Sakura was gone! The strange blanket she had slept on was gone as well.

Sitting up and looking around for evidence to where the girl had gone, she found none. She started to cry, she had been left alone while she was lost and couldn't walk and now she was hungry. Sakura promised she wouldn't leave her, but now she was gone.

"Morning." A voice said from behind Rin. Rin turned around and saw Sakura with a rabbit in her hand, and a few plants in the other. "Where you…crying?"

Rin quickly dried her eyes. "Where'd you go?"

"To get breakfast." The little demon answered and held up the rabbit. Rin looked at the fire which looked like fresh firewood had been added to it and relaxed, watching as Sakura separated the plants and put them in her bag before sitting on a rock near the river and skinning the rabbit to be cooked.

Rin cringed at the sight, but still her stomach growled. Sakura stood and looked at her clothes, as if she was looking for something, but the dress was spotless.

Sakura quickly prepared the rabbit and while it cooked, she cleaned the skin and laid it on a rock to dry in the sun. "Why are you keeping the skin?" Rin asked, curiously.

"For trade." Sakura said. "There's a village nearby, we take the fur and fell it and some of the healing herbs I found, the rest are ours. We need money and other things, just incase something comes up." Rin nodded. And tried to stand, but limped, her leg still sore. Sakura brought Rin her breakfast and sighed. "You just keep off your leg, we'll eat and if you still can't walk, I'll carry you."

Rin nodded and ate when the rabbit was finally cooked. She watched as Sakura cleaned up the campsite and tried to help her stand, she was in pain but still was able to walk. "I'll be fine." Rin insisted and walked, limping.

Sakura watched the girl try to walk on her own. She was obviously still hurting, but Sakura would let her exercise her leg. If she didn't move it, then it would get stiff and she was sure Rin would get lazy.

It wasn't long before the pair made it into a village, they earned a few glances, some from people who wondered why two girls where without their parents and some who wondered if Rin was Sakura's captive

"I'm gonna go sell this fur." Sakura told Rin. "You can explore a little or you can follow me, but stay close. Got it?"

Rin nodded. "I wanna look around a little, and then I'll find you." Sakura nodded back and walked in one direction, Rin walked in another and once the girls were a good distance from each other, Rin was almost instantly stopped by the villagers.

"Are you alright?" one woman asked. "Has that demon hurt you?"

Rin blinked and looked at her as another woman came over. "What are you talking about?"

"Looks like it attacked her before." The second said, referring to Rin's injured leg.

"Poor little one." Someone said. "She's that demons prisoner."

"Demon?" Rin asked then smiled a little. "You must mean Sakura." She said but it seemed no one heard her; they were all busy whispering about the so-called vicious demon that had enslaved her.

"Come with us." Someone said and held their hand out for her. Rin shook her head and backed away, but they moved closer.

"Sakura!" Rin yelled and tried to move faster, but someone grabbed her and tried to pull her with them.

Sakura was there quickly. She had done what needed to be done and had a little time left for shopping and when she saw the villagers trying to force Rin to go with them, she looked enraged.

**With Sakura:**

Sakura watched Rin go and turned to go into one of the shops. "Hello?" she called and an old woman appeared.

"Well," the woman said. "A little wolf lost it's way." She walked closer and Sakura's senses were all on high alert. "But you're only half wolf." She said and inspected the child. She smiled kindly and kneeled down to Sakura's height. "What's your name dear?"

Sakura relaxed a little. This woman reminded her of Kaede and gave her no reason to be worried. "Sakura." She said.

"Well Sakura," she said, smiling. "How may I help you?" Sakura held up the furs and explained that she wanted to sell them then she took the herbs out of her bag for the same purpose. "These are nice, where did you get them from?"

"I got them myself." Sakura answered and watched the old woman.

"All by your self?" she seemed shocked. "Your mother and father didn't help you?"

Sakura's ears drooped sadly but she didn't flinch as she spoke. "I never knew my father and my mother is…honestly…she abandoned me not too long ago."

"You poor child." The woman said and set the items on the counted to wrap Sakura in a hug. "You must be so scared, all alone."

Sakura sighed softly and stepped back from the embrace and smiled a little. "I'm fine really…I've been holing up pretty well…and I rarely get scared."

The woman smiled sympathetically and patted Sakura's head. She went back to the counter and examined the items. They were a very good quality. "Oh you can get a lot for this dear."

Sakura smiled. "I'm glad to hear that." She said relieved.

"Why don't you look around?" the shop owner told Sakura. "I'm going to get your payment."

Sakura nodded and began to look around the store; there were a lot of cute, handmade things. She picked up two different necklaces; there was a yellow and orange one and a pink and white one they were beaded bones with little designs engraved into the beads.

"Do you like them?" the woman asked and looked over at Sakura.

"Yeah." She said and looked again. "One of them looks like something a friend of mine would like…but I can't get them, I need to save the money."

The woman smiled and gave Sakura payment for what she brought and patted her head, between the ears. "You take one for you and one for your friend."

Sakura looked at her. "Really?" the woman nodded and places the necklaces into Sakura hand. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

"I have to get going. I'm traveling with someone and I'd better find out where she went." Sakura thanked the woman and turned to leave, as she walked out she didn't notice as the woman dropped a few thinks unto the opening in her book bag.

"Good luck dear." She called after Sakura's retreating form.

She wasn't far from the shop when she heard Rin scream for her. She ran towards the sound and saw that people had surrounded Rin and were trying to force her to come with them. Sakura knew better than anyone that a child wasn't always safe with certain adults, and if they so much as thought about doing to Rin what so many men had tried to do with her, they'd end up deformed just as those men had become.

Rin tried to limp to Sakura but she was still sore and the villagers blocked her. Sakura growled and, quick as a flash ran over and snatched Rin from them. Rin hid behind Sakura and the village women backed away from her, but the men armed themselves and closed in. "Filthy half breed." Some of them sneered,

Sakura growled at them, suddenly their weapons caught on fire and the dropped them. Sakura picked Rin up and ran off with her, a stream of yelling and cursing from the village following her.

When Sakura finally put her down, Rin looked at her closely "Are you hurt?"

Sakura laughed softly. "Do you think I'm hurt." She laughed again. "It'll take way more than some weak humans with inflated egos to take me on. No, I'm not hurt; I should be asking you that."

Rin smiled and sighed in relief. "Did you light their weapons on fire?" Sakura nodded. "How?"

"Same way I lit our firewood on fire." She answered.

"You sure did get us out of there fast."

"Would have been faster if my bed wasn't so heavy." She said and took it off of her back. "What's in here?" she opened it and blinked "Where did this come from?" she asked and took out the fresh fruits, medicine, vegetables and candies, she looked deeper and there were also two tiny wooden animals.

_Oh, she must have done that when I wasn't looking. _Sakura thought smiling. _Well…at least there are a few good people in the world…I guess I just don't know enough of them. _

"Oh," she said remembering the necklaces in her dress pockets. "This is for you." Se said and took the yellow and orange one out.

"Wow!" Rin said and took it. "Thank you!"

Sakura nodded and picked her bag back up. "You're welcome." She said and stood up. "Let's walk a little longer, then stop…can you walk?"

Rin nodded and Sakura walked beside her. "We can make camp later."

"Yeah," Sakura said. "As soon as we find a hot springs…you stink again."

The two of them walked away giggling, unaware that that they were being watched closely.

A/N: R&R please, I'd love to know what you thought


	7. The End?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Rin watched from her place in the hot springs as Sakura used the things she called soap and shampoo. Now she was picking up a bottle of something called lotion.

Sakura had let her use them and Rin had to admit she liked them, they smelled nice and she was cleaner than ever.

"Are you clean yet?" Sakura asked once her hair was clean.

Rin held up her fingers and saw that they were a little wrinkled. "I think so."

Sakura handed her a towel and let her dry off as she went to change. She checked on the clothes lying by the fire that they had washed earlier in the hot springs. Sakura would lend Rin one of the things Kagome called a t-shirt until the morning when their clothes would be dry.

Rin looked down at the strange garment that was too big for her, she was about to say something to Sakura about it but before she could speak, Sakura said. "Wear it or sleep naked, I really don't care." She handed Rin her dinner for the night, ramen that she got from Kagome. She wondered how long they could live off of what she had from Kagome, luckily, like Kagome's yellow bag; Sakura's pink one seemed bottomless.

Rin looked at the food and then to Sakura "I don't know if I can eat this."

Sakura looked at her. "Eat crap then." She said and started to eat her own. She wasn't in the mood for Rin to be picky, she was way too tired.

Rin's lower lip trembled slightly but she ate. It was actually really good. She'd never had anything like it and hoped they could have more another time.

"Are you done complaining?" Sakura asked and Rin nodded slowly. "Good, now please go to sleep."

Sakura waited until Rin was comfortable and sleeping before she laid down herself, she laid awake thinking a while about the people in her life. Her mother didn't want her and would probably kill her if she knew she was still breathing.

She wondered if anyone was worried about her…probably not, she wasn't any use to them, so why worry?

Perhaps Shippo missed her…She had never missed anyone in her lifetime, not even her mother, so she didn't know what it felt like. She knew she wanted to see him now and was feeling lonely now that she was away from him.

She wanted him to hug her, to crawl over to her sleeping bag for a nighttime conversation; it was awkward not having him around. _I think that I miss Shippo._ She thought.

But he probably hated her; she had been so mean to him when he was just trying to offer her friendship and comfort. She'd been so scared of being hurt again that she wasn't ready to let anyone into her heart in anyway.

She felt movement beside her and sighed, Rin had already wormed her way there. "You pest," she murmured softly. She wouldn't admit it but Rin was growing on her, but she didn't want to hurt her the way she'd already hurt Shippo.

There was only one way to ensure she didn't to that.

Retuning to her mother.

**Next Day**

Rin sat up quickly and felt her heart beating wildly in her chest, someone was screaming, she didn't see Sakura beside her and ran to find her. The girl she saw couldn't be Sakura, this girl had black hair, Not Sakura's red hair and her eyes were so much darker than the girl she was looking at, there were not wolf ears, no tail and no claws. "Wh-who…"

The girl looked at her. "Rin it's me!" she sounded upset. "I forgot what day it was!"

Rin looked at her. "What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

"Well, I'm a half demon, and every half demon has a time when they turn completely human." Sakura explained, making it as simple as possible.

"Permanently?" Rin asked but she hopped not; she would miss the red hair, white ears, and white tail.

"No," Sakura said, pulling back her now black hair. "I'll be half demon again by nightfall." She looked up at Rin, now they almost looked like sisters. "We'll have to be more careful today though, she should change and get out of the woods."

"Are you scared?"

"Ha! No!" Sakura laughed. "Weather I'm in my human or normal form I know how to fight, run and hide, you can't fight, you move slowly and you wouldn't know a good hiding place if it jumped up and bit you on the butt."

Rin didn't quite know how to take that, even though she knew it was true so she stayed quiet and got ready like Sakura suggested they do.

**Elsewhere:**

Kagome didn't know what to do. Shippo was inconsolable now that Sakura had run away, everyone was worried about her and hoped they found her before a demon or someone who could kill her would.

They stopped at every village they came by asking if anyone had seen Sakura, giving every detail they had. What she looked like, what her attitude was like, what she was wearing when she ran and even the backpack she was carrying.

This village was the same as the last; no one had seen hide or hair of Sakura. Kagome asked everyone and got no news but did receive promises from some people to keep a look out for her; from others they said they wouldn't waste their time on a "half-breed brat"

Shippo looked up at Kagome, his green eyes bloodshot from crying "Any idea where she is yet?" he asked, he sounded so sad and pathetic; Kagome didn't doubt for a second that Shippo missed Sakura the most.

"No," Kagome said sadly. "I'm sorry."

Shippo sighed sadly and nodded. There was no Sakura and there were no jewel shards so there was no reason to linger in the village any longer. They kept moving on and hoped that there would be news elsewhere or a sign of the girl they were looking for.

**With the girls:**

Rin and Sakura walked side by side, calmly after escaping the woods for their safety. "Where are we going now?" Rin asked, during their time together she never once asked, just followed the girl who saved her life.

"Well…" Sakura said. "We're going to keep going and find someone to take care of you…then…I have to meet up with my mother."

Rin blinked, she never really knew Sakura had any family, she just assumed the girl was an orphan like herself. "Your mother?"

"Yes, I'm going there permanently."

"Can I go?"

"No!" Sakura said quickly, causing Rin to stop and look at her. "I mean…My mothers a demon…she doesn't exactly like humans." That wasn't a total lie. Yuna did say all humans were vile and vicious.

"But you're half human." Rin reminded her "And you're all human right now."

"Y-yeah…" Sakura said softly. "She doesn't like humans so…I leave when I know I'm going to become one."

"But you said you didn't know you were going to turn into one."

"No I didn't." Sakura said quickly.

"You did so," Rin nearly screamed. "You were screaming this morning then got all mad saying you forgot what day it was." Sakura was quiet and sped up her walking pace a bit. "Why are you lying to me?!"

"Because you wouldn't understand!" Sakura screamed.

"You never gave me a chance to understand! I don't know anything about you other that you block everyone out, fight everyone and you never let anyone in!" They were both being quiet now. "I want to be your friend, I'm trying to be, but you can't shut me out. I want to understand you."

Sakura stopped walking for a second. She'd ever really had friends so this was all very confusing for her. No one, not even her mother wanted to understand her. All her mother ever really did was dress her up, like a doll, so that's what she tried to be.

A doll.

Lifeless.

Mindless.

Cold.

A plaything.

A possession.

Nothing.

Nobody.

A useless toy.

But she wasn't a toy. No matter how hard she tried to push them back, she had emotions and thoughts because she was person. She wasn't a thing and she belonged to no one. After all she'd been through in her life she deserved to have a friend.

"Sakura?" Rin said softly after the other girl was quiet for a while.

"You win." Sakura responded. "Let's start over, okay?" Rin smiled enthusiastically and nodded in agreement.

**Elsewhere:**

Naraku watched in Kanna's mirror as Rin and Sakura talked and walked side by side. "So the girl's a half demon, huh?" He looked at her and thought that she must be powerful and smart if she and Rin were traveling alone and were still unharmed. He doubted she knew how powerful she was, but other demons could sense it from a distance, even he could, he tried getting close but decided against it when he felt her strength.

_A mate of that strength would make me even stronger. _It was too bad she was still a child. But one ting he knew was that children were easily manipulated. She already felt unwanted in the world, all he had to do was convince her it was the truth but that he would protect her if she stayed by his side, and once she grew, she'd be perfect.

All he had to do now was catch her.

**With Shippo:**

Shippo looked around the village as the others asked for information on Sakura, the people there made a big fuss when they saw Inuyasha until Kagome convinced the, he was no threat. They were still a little unconvinced so Miroku suggested they search for any sign of Sakura them leave ASAP.

He kept walking and looked around, everything seemed normal here, until he saw a group of men staning around what appeared to be burned weapons. From where he stood he could smell the smoke. The smoke smelled different than any smoke he ever smelled. He ran over to the burnt items and sniffed them. "Hey!" One man said and picked him up by the tail "What are you doing?"

"Hey." Shippo squirmed and pointed to the charred tools "How'd that happen?"

"Some demon brat did it and took off with a human captive."

Shippo looked at him "Red head?" he asked. They looked at him. "Wolf ears? White ones…and a tail?"

"Yeah," the man said and shook him. "You know where she is?"

"That's enough!" and elderly lady said and took Shippo from the man. "He's a child."

"He's a demon." The man argued.

"Does he look dangerous?!" she snapped and walked off with Shippo. "I'm sorry about that." She said softly and took him with her into a shop. "I heard you talking to them… that girl you're looking for was here earlier."

"What?!" Shippo asked. "Which way did she go?!"

"Calm down" she said softly. "I'm sure she's alright."

"What did she come here for?" Shippo asked, trying to calm down but his heart was beating drastically against his ribcage. He was so worried, he needed to know that she was alright.

"She came in here for a trade, and no, she wasn't hurt at all. She was perfectly fine."

"Did she say where she was going?"

Sadly, the woman didn't have much information, but she did remember the direction Sakura ran off too. Shippo thanked her repeatedly and she gave him a small, wooden fox. He thanked her once more and ran to his friends with the good news.

**With the girls:**

It was sunset when Rin and Sakura got through telling their stories to each other. Both were in tears from hearing the others life story.

Sakura couldn't believe all the pain Rin had felt, behind so poor for most of her live, going hungry most nights and having to do field work to help support her family. Then her family being killed in a fire during an attack on her village and then she herself being attacked by wolves. It made Sakura be ashamed to be a wolf for a moment to know what had happened to Rin.

Rin thought her life was sad when finding out what she suffered was bliss compared to Sakura, she described her fear perfectly, and how she was constantly drugged and how men treated her in her short life. The worse part, next to her mothers attack had to be the times when she was purposely only partially drugged but woke up with some stranger's hands all over her.

"I didn't know you were hurt so badly." Rin sobbed softly

"I could say the same for you." Sakura said in the same sobbing tone.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." Rin whispered.

"No…I deserved it." Sakura told her. "I shouldn't have been so distant." Rin opened her mouth to speak but Sakura quickly covered her mouth. "Shh!" She glanced around and quickly linked arms with her friend. "Keep walking" she said and walked at a quick pace with her. "Don't be alarmed." She whispered. "I think we're being followed." Rin tensed up but Sakura made her keep walking, she may have been human at the moment, but that didn't mean she wasn't aware of her surroundings, she was listening now more than ever. She definitely heard a twig snap. She only hoped they could elude their stalker until nightfall.

Rin was scared. She didn't know who or what was following them but she got the feeling whatever it was could and would hurt them. She was really scared when she heard rustling and Sakura whisper to her. "Run." They both took off at an inhuman speed and screamed when they saw a tentacle shoot out towards them. "Move!" Sakura yelled and pushed Rin out of the way, narrowly dodging it herself.

Whatever was chasing them started laughing. "Sakura…" It called but Sakura refused to listen and kept running. She looked around quickly as she ran, hoping to find a place to hide Rin, luckily, but now the sun was setting.

"Tree!" Sakura gasped, if she wasn't human now there was no way she'd be out of breath, but she couldn't think about that now, she made a quick turn and pushed Rin ahead of her. "Find either a hollow one of climb one!"

"What about you?" Rin panted.

"Forget me!" Sakura yelled and pushed her. As she fell, Rin heard a choking noise. She looked back and saw a man with Dark hair and red eyes. He was creepy, the thing that shocked Rin the most about him was he had tentacles that seemed to come from his Back, One of them had Sakura in the air by her neck.

"Let her go!" Rin yelled but one was quickly wrapped around her throat as well.

"You're no use to me." The man said to Rin and drew Sakura closer to him, still squirming and scratching at him, trying to get free. "Even as a human you're a fighter." Sakura growled and spat in his face. She wasn't going to let another man take advantage of her and especially not Rin. He laughed and slapped her. "You'ld better learn your place Sakura."

"Who are you?!" Sakura growled as the tentacle tightened around her neck.

"I'm Naraku," He said as if it was a big deal. "And you belong to me now. Be good and I may even let you keep the little girl."

"Ass wipe!" Sakura yelled. It was something she heard Inuyasha call Kouga. She didn't want to sit there…well, hang there, and yell at him while Rin was getting limp and most likely dieing, but she needed to keep him distracted while she turned back into her normal form. _Keep Talking. _Sakura through as Naraku shook her and yelled at her. The sun started to set and the sky grew dark. _That's it. _She thought as her claws, ears and tail came back, her straight black hair became auburn curls again and her eyes turned back into their dark hue. "Idiot." Sakura hissed as Naraku's clothes seem to catch on Fire from no where.

Usually fire didn't bother Naraku, but this was no ordinary Fire. It burned, even her claws felt like hot iron as she used them and seved the Tentacle around her neck. Naraku howled in pain as Sakura fell to the ground with a soft thud and then cut Rin free. "It'll be okay." She assured her unconscious friend."

"You brat!" He snarled and came at her again, she screamed and held up her hands, defensively and it felt like his skin was on fire.

Sakura started to feel dizzy, but she couldn't faint. She wanted to get Rin to a safer location. She felt a gust of wind and with her blurred vision saw white, sliver and a bit of red. She couldn't help it anymore. This had to be then end, she fell and darkness surrounded her.

A/N: What should happen next? R&R please and tell me.


	8. I want to live

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

"Shippo…" Sakura said in a weak voice. Shippo opened his eyes and quickly looked around. "Shippo…where are you?" he started running. She sounded hurt. He needed to find her. He followed her voice and his eyes widened as he smelled blood.

"Sakura!" He called for her and ran into a clearing where Sakura was standing in a white dress, she seemed fine, he didn't see any injury or smell any blood around her, but her eyes looked dead and she looked pale like she had been drained of blood. He kept running to her, but it seemed like the closer he tried to get the further she became.

"I trusted you." She whispered. This time when he looked at her the dress was blood soaked and she was covered in cuts, dirt, and bruises, her face was bloody and she had the injuries she had when they first found her. "Why didn't you protect me?"

"I tried!" He yelled, still trying to get to her. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen!" She continued to stare at him with the same cold, dead look. She raised a hand slowly and pointed at him with a trembling hand. Shippo stopped and looked down at his hands which were now covered in blood and pieces of white cloth were caught in his claws.

"You did this…" a voice whispered. "You…did…thisssss…"

"NO!" Shippo yelled and tried to shake the blood off of his hands but nothing could remove it and the blood traveled up to his elbows. "I'm sorry!" he closed his eyes and shook the blood as rapidly as he could. He felt something against his hands and when he opened his eyes, he was standing on a cliff with his hands out and Sakura was falling off of it, his bloody handprints on her clothes.

"Why Shippo?" Sakura whispered as she seemed to drop in slow motion, her voice laced with pain

"Shippo!" Kagome yelled, hoping to wake Shippo up from what she knew was a nightmare. He was crying and whispering "Sakura." Over and over again.

Shippo sat up quickly and raced into Kagome's arms. "We have to find her!" he said, fighting back tears.

"We will." Kagome said, still a little unsure if they'd ever find her. "It'll just take time…"

**Elsewhere:**

Sakura didn't know where she was, she just knew she was exhausted and hot from using her fire powers too much at once. She could feel her dress clinging to her skin with sweat despite the breeze she felt going though her hair. _Where's Rin?_ She wondered and tried to force herself to wake up, move a limb or something.

She moved her fingers and felt them brushing against something scaly. "She's waking up!" Rin's cheerful voice said happily. "Look!"

Sakura growled lightly and forced her tired eyes open. She looked around and saw that she was lying on her stomach on the back of a two headed dragon and she slowly pushed herself up and fell back slightly but she was caught by small arm and knew it was Rin. "Where are we?" she whispered.

Rin held her up and she glanced around, she saw a demon and her eyes widened slightly, she could tell her was powerful but she wouldn't let him or anyone intimidate her. "When you fainted," Rin explained. "Lord Sesshomaru saved us. You must have weakened that man who tried to kill you pretty bad because he left quickly after Lord Sesshoumaru got there."

Sakura looked at him. "Thank you" she whispered and rubbed her still sore neck. He didn't respond but nodded to let her know he heard and kept walking. Sakura looked around for her bag and noticed the pink bag was on Rin's back. She sighed and relaxed, knowing if Rin was safe with this man than she was sure that she was as well. She was still worn out and couldn't fight sleep any longer. She closed her eyes and fell asleep with Rin holding her still.

Sakura slept most of the day, not used to having to use so much energy at once. Usually anyone who attacked her was weaker than that. It didn't take much for her to injure them and run off to a safer place, but this man was different, he was able to handle the fire longer than anyone she'd ever faced.

It wasn't long before it because dark and they sat up camp. As Sakura set up her sleeping bag, making somewhere for both her and Rin to sleep she began to think.

What if he came after her again?

What if no one came to her rescue then? Could she protect herself then?

She didn't have time to think about this, she may have been traveling with someone else, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to pull her own weight and catch her own food. As she tried to leave Rin started to follow her, she told her to stay on the sleeping bag and play with the toys in the bag if she wished. Rin pouted but stayed.

Sesshoumaru watched the two of them and made no move to stop Sakura, if she wanted to catch dinner, he had no problem with that. Rin sat down like Sakura said ad took small toys out of the bag, the only thing she didn't play with was a pale doll that was dressed in the same strange clothes that Sakura wore and shared with Rin…he could have sworn he'd seen clothing like that somewhere before but couldn't think or where he had right now.

He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard Sakura growling, sounding frustrated. "This thing weighs a ton!" she growled, pulling a wild boar into the campsite. He'd never admit it but he was impressed by her hunting skills and it was nice for Rin to have another girl in her age group.

"Wow!" Rin cheered. "Amazing!"

Rin was right, it was pretty amazing. At least she wasn't useless, she proved that earlier when she held her own against Naraku and now he barely had to do anything, it seemed like she was doing fine taking care of camp on her own, even Jaken didn't seem to have many complaints about her.

As long as she could pull her own weight, he didn't mind having her around.

**Elsewhere:**

Naraku was boiling with Rage. Who did that little brat think she was? She would have been better off listening to him and doing as he said and maybe he would have showed her some pity, but now he was going to do all he could destroy her, and by destroying her, he didn't mean killing her, he meant breaking her spirit so she'd feel just as worthless as she really was.

As he sat healing himself he thought of ways to make her life miserable. He was going to see to it that she got everything she deserved.

When he was through with her, she would be on her knees crying and begging for mercy.

**Elsewhere:**

Rin looked at Sakura as she scrubbed her red hair. "What?" Sakura asked and looked across the hot spring "There a problem?"

"No" Rin said and shook her head, starting to wash her own hair.

"Well hurry up." Sakura said and got out of the water after drying off. "Let's get back to camp."

"Sakura…" Rin said softly "You're not going back to your mother to die, are you?"

Sakura looked at her, she was quiet for a second but shook her head. "No." she said and smiled. "I'm going back to my friends."

A/N: Short, I know, But I couldn't think of what else could be added to this chapter. The next one will be longer, I promise.


	9. Shock

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

Sesshoumaru watched the girls the following day, Sakura seemed better, her body temperature had lowered, she could move on her own and walk on her own nearly as long as he could and she walked with a bounce in her step.

Rin on the other hand was a different story.

Rin seemed sad, clearly something was bothering her but he didn't know what. She watched Sakura sadly the whole day, perhaps the two of them got into an argument? No, that couldn't be it, Sakura was too happy to have gotten into an argument with Rin. It was something else, and he'd have to find a way to figure out what it was.

Sesshoumaru wasn't the only one to notice Rin's sudden attitude change, Sakura saw it and it scared her, she was sort of acting the same way her mother acted before she attacked her, she tried to cheer her up but nothing she did worked. She doubted Rin would be foolish enough to attack her but just incase, she didn't ride Ah-Un with her and she watched her closely…perhaps it would be better if she got back to her friends sooner.

Rin waited until they stopped to rest and Sakura took Jaken with her to go find something to eat until she approached Sesshoumaru with a question. "Lord Sesshoumaru?" she asked and he looked at her, even though he didn't respond she knew that he was listening. "Is it okay if Sakura comes back to the palace with us?"

Is that what was bothering her? She wanted her new friend to live with them? "What about her parents?" He asked, he wasn't taking the child anywhere but back home, if she had one.

Rin knew she probably shouldn't tell but she said "Sakura doesn't know her father," Sesshoumaru looked at her and silently wondered why that was. "And her mother tried to kill her." Now he really wanted to know, what would cause any parent to try and take the live of their own child?

She would be another mouth to feed, another child trailing behind him, but she was useful in her own way, she could help Rin, probably become Rin's personal guard or something of the sort when they got older and if she had the proper training. The girl was wild and a bit spoiled, no matter how useful she was that was something he wouldn't tolerate. "I'll have to think about it Rin, go play now."

Rin smiled and ran off to play with the toys in the bag, surely when Sakura saw the Western Palace, the nice rooms, the big garden and the hot springs there would be no way she could say no to staying with her! She wouldn't have to loose her friend any time soon.

Sakura came back with fish and cooked them on her own. Rin seemed better now and it made her wonder what happened when she was away and if it had anything to do with Rin's change in attitude but she shrugged it off and went back to the fish.

**Elsewhere:**

Shippo calmed down enough to take a nap in the basket of Kagome's bike and everyone was thankful for that, he hadn't had a good night of sleep since Sakura vanished.

To be honest, everyone had been pretty uneasy since she vanished, they kept there eyes open wide for any sign at all of them, but so far all they had found were two scenes where Shippo swore Sakura had been, once was in the village and another was just outside a forest where some trees had been burned.

Kouga, took Ginta and Hakkaku to see if they could find her, this time, neither complained about being tired and moved faster than they ever had, they were afraid that Sakura had been snatched up by someone or worse, they were so determined to find her, not just because she was one of them but because they had become so attached to her, she was really like their little sister. Unfortunately, there was no sign of her.

The group passed through an area that looked as if it had been destroyed by a fire, all but one small patch of grass right in the middle of the disaster. "How strange," Sango said, looking around and looking at the unaffected area. "What could have caused this?"

Suddenly, as if on cue, Shippo woke up, completely alert. "Sakura?" he asked, looking around.

The others looked at him. "Did you have a dream about her?" Kagome asked.

"No, I smell her." Shippo corrected.

"She's not here," Sango said and looked around again. "Are you saying that she was?"

"Yes," Shippo hopped out of the basket. "She was here recently."

Miroku imagined what the blaze must have been like and wondered if Shippo smelled Sakura because she'd been caught in it. "Shippo…there's a possibility that she didn't…"

"No!" Shippo yelled. "There's no way she died here."

Sympathetic glances were cast in his direction. They didn't know he'd grown so attached to her. "If it was as bad as it looks, then it's possible…"

"She didn't die here," Shippo interrupted Miroku again and walked to the spot where the grass had not been burned, "because she started this."

The others argued it could have been a simple forest fire but Shippo disagreed, saying he _knew _Sakura had done this. "Why would Sakura do this?" Kagome asked, it made no sense to her, Sakura didn't seem like a pyromaniac to her. True the girl was troubled and a bit disturbed, but not completely violent.

"She lights fires to protect herself." Shippo informed. "She said it's a little hard to control but she can light fires with her mind whenever she's in danger." He looked around "And from the look of things she was in a lot of trouble…but she made it out."

"You smell her or something?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, there's that" Shippo said and pointed to the ground "And there's her sandal prints."

Everyone looked at them, Shippo was right, it was quite a struggle too, there were also another set of shoe prints, they looked like boots that seemed to come out of nowhere, but the scary thing was, they were adult sized. "We need to find her fast." Miroku said, voicing every ones current thoughts.

**Elsewhere:**

Sakura woke up the next morning, riding on Ah-Un. She yawned and sat up slowly "Wha-?" she mumbled sleepily. "Where are we going?"

"We are going home." Rin chirped cheerfully from behind her.

"Home?" Sakura asked, no completely awake, she looked at Sesshoumaru, but there was no response from him, so she once again looked to Rin. "We're going west…I need to go the other way."

"Don't worry." Rin said and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You'll like the western palace."

"But my friends are the other way!" Sakura argued.

"You should be grateful Lord Sesshoumaru is even considering taking you to his palace." Jaken said.

"Piss off!" Sakura snapped and shot a line of fire that looked like a whip from her fingertips right at Jaken's backside. Rin gasped as Jaken screeched and Sesshoumaru turned his head so that no one would see his smirk. This girl was like a younger version of him. "I didn't ask to be taken to the Western palace!"

"You'll change your mind once we get there." Rin insisted. "Just have a look."

"But my friends are the other way!" Sakura nearly screamed.

"But _I'm _your friend too!" Rin cried, sounding as if she were in pain.

"Rin," Sesshoumaru said, making Rin instantly quiet down, "We cannot take her anywhere she does not wish to go. If she's really your friend, you'd want her to be happy, is that correct?"

"Sakura," Rin said softly. "Please, just try it for a week or so? For me?"

Sakura sighed softly and her head hung sadly. "I will…" she whispered. _But that doesn't mean I'll like it._

They rode that day in silence, Rin was much better, she was so happy that she was blind to the fact that Sakura was miserable and her heart broke more and more, the closer they got to the western lands.

They stopped to make camp, Sakura may have felt miserable but she wouldn't let it affect her taking some of the responsibility. She left Rin to go gather food. Maybe she could catch a rabbit without completely making a horrid mess this time.

The little redhead sniffed around and kept close to the ground as she'd been taught by her brothers, she smelled a rabbit nearby and pounced, but the bunny bounded and she chased after it.

"Come back here little rabbit!" she whined. "I'm not gonna hurt you…just eat you" she added the last part silently. While she was searching she suddenly felt something was wrong, not only that, she heard rustling and was certain it wasn't her rabbit.

"Hello?" she asked softly and looked around, but it was too late, a large serpent like demon leaped out and it had a mouth that was bigger than her entire body and eyes as big as her head, she knew there was no way she could fight this thing, so she did the only thing she could do.

She screamed and tried running.

Before she could run, the great, steel colored beast used its tail to knock her feet right from underneath her. She yelped as she hit the ground and screamed like crazy again as she was wrapped up in it's tail, her body started to heat up like it did when she was about to start a fire. "Let go of me!" she shrieked and flames shot from her mouth, burning the Serpents face.

It dropped her but hissed angrily. Before she could scream again, she saw a red blur and a white one at the same time, yelping as the serpent was struck by whip that was similar to her fire whip but smelled of acid and then sliced in half.

She stood slowly, completely ready to light another fire and her body almost instantly cooled as she saw Sesshoumaru and someone she didn't expect to see.

"Inuyasha!"

**A/N: Writers block can be a real pain. I think it's all better now, thank you all for hanging in there with me, love you all. R&R so that I can love you even more! **


	10. Lashing Out

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

A/N: I'd like to dedicate this chapter to sangoscourage for all the help and inspiration. I'm going to try to work faster; I know how I want it to end. With that said, on with the show…err…story!

Sakura sat still in Sangos lap as Kagome applied something she called ointment to the little scrapes she got. "So," Sakura said and lifted her said so Kagome could apply the medicine to her chin, her eyes were closed tightly, even though it didn't hurt in the least. "Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are brothers?"

"Half brothers!" they both snapped at the same time. From Inuyasha it was an angry growl, from Sesshoumaru, it sounded like a warning that Sakura better get it right next time.

"Whatever." Sakura said and moves over to holds Shippo who held onto her clothing tightly. He missed her dearly. "You two don't act like brothers, I'd be happy as hell to have a brother."

"Language!" Kagome warned.

"I don't have to listen to you!" Sakura said, stunning everyone, she knew what they were thinking but honestly, she didn't hate Kagome, she hated the way Kagome treated her most of the time, the same way her mother seemed to treat her.

"You have us." Ginta reminded her.

"I mean a biological brother, you know, someone to grow up with." She looked across the fire at them. "Don't get me wrong, I love you both very much."

"I'm so glad you're back!" Shippo said and launched himself into her arms. Sakura hugged him and laughed.

"I can tell." Sakura was in a new dress Kagome got her, a white one with cherries covering the fabric, her other one had burned the last time her body heated up, her hair was still a mess, she growled at Kagome for trying to brush it earlier, surprisingly, it was Sesshoumaru who reprimanded her for it. Something about not biting the hand that feeds you.

Sakura picked up a brush, fixed her hair and braided it loosely, grumbling lowly to herself. "Sakura?" Inuyasha asked, the girl looked up as she was nearing the end of her braid. "We passed a forest while we were looking for you, it was really messed up."

"Burned to a crisp." Miroku asked.

"Oh…that…" Sakura said and tied a big bow at the end of the long braid. "I did that… it was kind of an accident."

"Kind of?" Sango asked.

"Okay, it was somewhat an accident, somewhat defense, I didn't mean for it to get that bad."

"Defense against whom?"

"Whoever it was, it doesn't mean she should be so destructive!" Kagome scolded. "What kind of child is even that destructive and violent?"

"Kagome…" Sango warned.

"What kind of woman dresses like a common whore?" Sakura asked.

"Silence child." Sesshoumaru said.

"I know where this is headed" Miroku said softly.

"Know what?" Kagome yelled. "I'm getting sick of you and your smart mouth!"

"And you think being around you is fun?" Sakura shouted, standing up. "Part of the reason I left was so I wouldn't have to be around you!"

"I've been nothing but nice to you!"

"I never asked you to be!"

"Know what?" Kagome stated. "I'm starting to see why whoever threw you into the river did what they did!"

"Kagome don't!" Rin yelled, seeing Sakura's skin glow.

Before Kagome had a chance to say anything else, a fire whip was lashed at her and burned her right sleeve, it fell off in little papery flake. "Mention my mother again and I won't hesitate to burn you alive you dirty bitch!" Sakura ran off, away from the campsite and into the surrounding forest.

Kagome screamed and punched a tree "What's her problem with me?"

Shippo and Rin glanced at each other and then to Kagome. "You can't tell?" Rin asked her.

"Tell what?"

"You scare her." Shippo said. "She flinched every time you come near her and she tries to keep a distance from you. She doesn't hate you, she's just scared."

"Scared of me why? I never hurt her."

"Well you're naturally scary." Inuyasha mumbled.

"Sit boy!" Kagome yelled and watched with satisfaction as Inuyasha got up close and personal with his old friend, dirt. "She used to let me do her hair when she first came to us."

"When she was still to stiff and fore to fight, and she was taking medicine from Kaede." Shippo reminded her.

"I think you remind her of her mommy." Rin said.

"What does her mother have to do with any of this?" Kagome questioned.

Rin bit her lip. "I probably shouldn't say it but…Her mommy was the one who tried to kill her."

Everyone was stunned into silence, except for Sango, whom Sakura told her one night after she had to shake her out of a nightmare, and Sesshoumaru who had been told before.

Kagome took the moment of silence to reflect on Sakura's time with them. When she was still healing, it was true her head was a little fuzzy because they had given her pretty strong medicine to take the pain.

She did dress her up a couple of times but whenever she turned her back, even for just a second, when she turned back around she saw whatever she had given Sakura in a heap on the floor and Sakura gone.

What should have made her realize it was when she had brought Sakura a sleeping bag and tried to show her how to use it. Sakura backed up into the wall of Kaede's hut and moved a few steps away when Kagome got closer.

Kagome was so blinded by excitement that she didn't notice. She loved Shippo but it was nice to have the little girl around, she always wanted to know what it was like to have a little girl and then out of nowhere, one shows up. It seemed like a perfect chance, she was trying so hard to get Sakura to like her she didn't stop to think Sakura may need space.

"I just made things worse, didn't I?" Kagome said.

"Don't blame yourself." Sango said and squeezed her friends shoulder. "Give her time to warm up to you, and as for tonight, she'll come back when she gets hungry."

Sesshoumaru stood and started to walk off in the same direction Sakura ran off in.

**With Sakura:**

Sakura laid sprawled out, face down in the grass she had fallen in. It was cold, but she didn't want to move.

"Sakura?" she heard a female voice call, she flinched but stayed still. "Sakura, what have you done?"

She lifted her head, it wasn't dark anymore and it was warm. She looked down at her clothed and saw that she wasn't in the dress anymore; she was in a pale blue summer kimono. She hated blue, but her mother loved it on her. She looked around and saw she was in the field near her old home.

"Sakura," the voice said again and someone kneeled beside her. "Why did you kick that little boy? You need to apologize to him, sweetheart." She looked up and saw a girl who was younger than her mother, Kohana. She hadn't been working there very long but cried like a baby the first night, believing she had been hired as a maid. Sakura calmed her down and brought her dinner in her room.

"No" Sakura said stubbornly. "He said I was lonely then had the nerve to ask me if I wanted him to keep me company."

"Ah, I see." Kohana said and scooped the little girl into her arms. "He made you remember a bad thing."

"Mhmm." Sakura mumbled and hid her face in Kohana's clothing.

Kohana didn't yell at her, just sat with her and rubbed her back. "You don't deserve to be scared Sakura, I wish I could get you out of here."

"Don't." Sakura sniffled. She wouldn't even ask Kohana to try. Leiko was vicious with her workers, there where only the harshest punishments for those who tried to run from her. She didn't want to risk it.

"That's right," Kohana said and sat her down. "Because you're going to get out on your own, aren't you?"

Sakura nodded and smiled. "And you too Kohana."

Kohana smiled and held the little red head close to her. "Until then sweetie, try to behave." Sakura dried her eyes and looked up at her friend. "Don't be so hostile towards those who show you kindness, if you do that, you'll never have a single friend." Kohanna started to fade away slowly. "Give people a chance," she said softly. "Don't blame one person for what another did to you, alright?"

Sesshoumaru found Sakura passed out in the grass and kneeled by her, he was about to reach out and shake her awake when she mumbled, "Alright Kohana, I'll be good." and started to slowly lift her head.

Sakura looked up at Sesshoumaru and smiled sleepily before sitting up. "You were worried about me." She said softly.

"Don't flatter yourself girl," he said. "Are you ready to go back?"

"Can I go with you?" She asked softly. He sat beside her and she curled up, her head on his leg.

"That won't help you. You need to stay." She needed to be able to face people without seeing people who had hurt her.

She knew he was right. "At least I didn't have this problem when I was traveling with you and Rin. At least I had my dignity."

"You wont have that much longer if I have to carry you into camp." He warned her.

She giggled she curled up tighter. "Carry away oh great one," she said. "I'm too tired to walk."

He picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder; she was asleep before he reached for her, he wasn't completely heartless, he wasn't just going to leave her.

The rest of the night was quiet, no one spoke that night but Kagome unrolled some sleeping bags and she and Sango put the children to sleep for the night.

Kagome tucked Sakura carefully into the sleeping bag she picked for her and rubbed her hair softly. "We'll work things out in the morning." She whispered. "Goodnight Sakura."

A/N: Big thanks again to sangoscourage, without you this chapter would never be. Thanks to everyone else for sticking with me, I'm going to start on the next chapter tomorrow, it's summer and nothing can stop me! R&R, please and thank you.


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